


Harry Potter and the Honeysuckle Vine

by MapleandDragonHeartstring



Series: Post War Harry Potter [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Auror Harry Potter, Canon Compliant, Developing Relationship, F/M, M/M, Magically Powerful Harry Potter, POV Ginny Weasley, POV Harry Potter, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Post-War, Quidditch Player Ginny Weasley
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-06-27 21:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15693402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MapleandDragonHeartstring/pseuds/MapleandDragonHeartstring
Summary: Picks up right where DH Ends. As Canon Compliant as possible.He's Harry, He'll never be normal, forever the Chosen One or some other grand title, but he could be happy. The story of how the wizarding world heals, Harry recovers, finds new powers with Ginny, and seeks to fill his life with love.*Progresses in maturity level as the chapters proceed.*---------------------8/15/18 - I have roughly 47 pages written at this point - so thats halfway through what I think is chapter 7. But I would really like if people left thoughts on how they think it's going so far. This will probably be over 20 chapters... I havent even gotten to when ginny goes back to school.** update Aug 27- so I have uploaded the first 8 chapters, I have another 8 more already written - I had a break through last week and just haven't been able to stop writing. My google doc is about 150 pages now and it says I have over 45K words.***IN PROGRESS***





	1. Reparo

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Grave Days](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3301733) by [Northumbrian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northumbrian/pseuds/Northumbrian). 
  * Inspired by [The Prodigal Daughter](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/407106) by iluvfanfics1. 



> I don't own HP. 
> 
> All characters belong to JKR, unless otherwise mentioned.
> 
> There's a number of places where ideas/inspiration came from other fics. I have tried to add them to the references, but some of them I cant seem to find again, so if you see something please let me know!!

# Harry Potter and the Honeysuckle Vine

## Chapter 1: Reparo

 _“I think Harry’s right,” said Hermione quietly.  
“That wand’s more trouble than it’s worth,” said Harry. “And quite honestly,” he turned away from the painted portraits, thinking now only of the four poster bed lying waiting for him in gryffindor tower, and wondering whether kreacher might bring him a sandwich there, “ I’ve had enough trouble for a lifetime.”_

##### May 2, 1998

As those words escaped his lips, it dawned on him through the exhaustion. His role - the boy who lived, the chosen one, the prophecy - it was over. Voldemort was over. He could just be Harry. He could be normal. But first he needed some serious sleep, considering he, ron and hermione had been awake for about 48 hours. 

The trio turned towards the stone gargoyle and were met by Professor McGonagall. Her hair unkempt, all over the place, and her robe torn and scattered with blood stains.

“Hello you three.” she said, surprised to find them here.

“Hello, professor, I just wanted to speak to dumbledore” 

“Oh, yes of course, I’ll come back” 

“No we’re finished, sorry, we were just leaving,” the three of them started towards the door, Harry turned to Mcgonagall, “but in the next few days I would like for us to talk, if thats ok” 

Harry had said it before he knew what he was thinking. He wasn’t ready in this moment but he would tell them all what happened. All of it, and he knew deep down he couldn't do it more than once and so he would tell them all at once. 

“Of course Mr Potter, now I need to contact the school governors and certain folks at the ministry, with so much damage to the castle I’m not sure hogwarts will remain open. But that's for another day. Goodnight you three” 

As the three of them reached the gargoyle, Harry heard McGonagall speak,  
“he’s come so far since we dropped him at 4 privet drive”  
“Yes,” the portrait replied softly but with an overtone of pride, “At extraordinary cost, the three of them have done more than any of us could have hoped for.”

\--------------------

##### May 4, 1998

Harry didn’t remember getting into bed, or walking back to gryffindor tower. But by the feel of the sheets and the way the sun felt through the bed hangings he knew that's where he was. He sat up slowly feeling the side table for his glasses. As the room came into focus, so did the weight of the previous days, of Fred, Lupin, tonks, and in some ways himself. 

He absentmindedly put his hand to his scar while Ron entered the room.

“Your awake finally” Ron said, half smiling, though it was evident he had been crying. 

“Ron, I… I’m so sorry” 

Ron stopped and sat on the bed and weakly nodded. “You realize you've been asleep for two days. Everyone’s been getting worried. Ginny is practically besides herself” 

“Ginny…” Harry repeated, trailing off, he had no idea what he wanted to say to her, all he knew is he wanted her back, but he thought, _how could she ever forgive me._

“So its about to be lunch time, and Professor McGonagall was going to give us an update on if the castle can be repaired, and …..” Ron swallowed, “when the funerals are going to happen.” 

Harry only grabbed his own wand and the leather pouch Hagrid had given him. The Elder Wand was inside it. As they headed towards the great hall, Harry didnt even notice that he was still in the same clothes from the fight. Ron hadn’t noticed either. The mention of the funerals distracting his thoughts. Harry stopped about halfway down the stairs when he could hear the murmurs of all the survivors gathering for a meal. 

“Ron,” Harry paused on the landing, ”I need to do something outside, let them all know that I’ll be there in about 10 minutes, well it might be less if this doesn’t work, but then I need to see everyone together. You, Hermione, all your family, the order, the ministry, the DA, all of them. I’m telling you all what happened.” 

Ron looked at him worried, seemingly pulled out of his imagination of the funerals, “ you sure your ready mate?”

“Yes, I want it over with as soon as possible, and well… people should know why their loved ones are dead.” 

“Ok, I’ll save you a seat, but Harry,” Ron started, “You dont need to tell them that ….” 

“I wont include you leaving if you dont want me to, Ron, but I think I should, It’s important how you came back…” interjected Harry, slightly annoyed.

“No.. I uh…. Yeah thats… you can tell them but thats not what I was going to say mate.” Ron straightened up a little staring directly at Harry. “I know you won’t listen, and pretty much everyone is going to tell you the same thing but I’ll say it first so maybe you’ll listen to them. Don’t go blaming yourself for Fred, or lupin, or tonks, or colin, or the other however many people the count is up to now.”

“If I had just figured it out sooner.” Harry started.

“No. Stop it.” Harry was taken aback at the anger he heard in Rons voice. “You can’t blame yourself for the dead Harry. Fred, Lupin, tonks, all of them, all of us. We made a choice, we chose to risk our lives, and it wasn’t about risking it for you mate. I know you’re the chosen one and all that bollocks, but that choice is not something you get to take from them. It was about more than you Harry, it was about defending those we care about, about defending this place, about a future free from him.”

Harry didn't know what to say. 

“Well said Mr Weasley, if only you were that good with words in your course work.” Mcgonagall chimed in. 

McGonagll's voice had pulled Harry out of his stupor. “Professor,” Harry couldn’t meet Rons eyes, the shame too large in his chest. “I want to share what happened, how we got here, with…. “ _my family_ he thought well if they didnt all hate him that is. “With you, and Kingsley, and the Weasleys, the order and the DA. but there is something I need to do first”

She eyed him, he couldn't tell if it was anger or worry on her face, “Potter, you realize last time you said that to me, Hagrid ended up carrying you, dead, out of the forest.”

“It’s over, Professor, I ….” _she’ll find out when I tell the story anyway,_ he thought. “ I need to return Dumbledore’s wand to his tomb.” 

The mention of Dumbledore and the fact that Harry had his wand seemed to startle McGonagall. “You need to what?” she asked.

“It will make sense after I tell you what happened, but I need to do this first.” He wasnt backing down, this was the last thing on what had become an exceedingly long to-do list over the last few months. Well, that and find Ginny. 

“Alright, I’ll let them know to meet in the Gryffindor common room after lunch, do you want me to come with you?” 

Harry considered it for a moment. “I think I’ll be alright…” He swayed slightly but tried to steady himself before the others noticed. 

“Certainly, you will be.” She said briskly, “but seeing as you cant seem to stand straight, and didn't seem to notice you need a change of clothes, I’ll come along. No arguments Potter.” She added before he could protest at all.

Harry and McGonagall headed out through what used to be the entrance hall onto the grounds. In turning around, in the full late morning sun, Harry could see just how devastated the castle was. There was rubble and broken glass everywhere. It had rained during the time Harry had been asleep and Harry could see it had started to rinse off the various scorch marks from where curses had hit the castle, some puddles were even a reddish hue. 

McGonagall was at his side, also looking at the wreckage. She broke the heavy silence. She gave a sigh. “I don’t know if it’s all fixable considering the kind of magic that caused this, but the School governors are split on whether or not to reopen the school. They want to have the ministry assess the damage officially before they come to their decision.”

“But, hogwarts can’t…” Harry started, a lump catching in his throat. 

“Yes, I agree Potter but it’ll take more than a simple reparo to rectify this.” 

_Or will it_ ….Harry thought. He reached into the leather pouch around his neck and pulled out the Elder Wand. He could see it was cracked, apparently being told to kill its master did something to it. It was a big job, and he doubted it would work. But somehow, Harry knew Dumbledore would approve of this last use of the thing. To make it’s last deed one of healing and repair before it was placed back in Dumbledore's tomb.

Looking at Harry with what she only knew as Dumbledore’s wand she said, “Don’t bother, I already tried to repair a few things in my flat here, it didn’t work.”

Harry ignored her. He held the wand in his palm, staring at it. The wand that tried to kill him. Twice. He then looked up at what had been his first real home. He thought of all the times he had in this place, of first seeing the castle while crossing the lake at the start of his first year, all the memories of being with his friends around the grounds, of going into the forest with Ron and Hermione, of going into the chamber to save Ginny, all the quidditch practices, the DA meetings, kissing Ginny, studying in the library, he even briefly thought of Dobby in the kitchens with Winky. 

A lump the size of a football ended up coming up his throat. And he felt some force stir within himself. He thought of how the blood soaked stone and dirt can’t be the last thing this place sees. He thought of Fred and firecrackers he and George set off on Umbridge, He thought of Lupin and Tonks, and now Teddy - Harry knew this is where his godson was going to be educated. 

With the pressure behind his eyes mounting, Harry could also feel that force stir, as if it was stretching it's legs like a cat after a nap. Harry steadied himself looking at the massive wreck in front of him. He looked up at the owlery and astronomy tower thinking of Hedwig and Buckbeak and the night they saved Sirius. 

He closed his water filled eyes as he felt his heart fill with those memories. He wasn't sure what it was but the force was awake, and Harry could sense the magic of this place and these people. He felt the force seeping into him from his hand, taking up his body. He slowly glanced at the elder wand that had been in his hand. crack was now a full tear, and it seemed to be dissolving into his hand. He thought he heard a slight gasp from McGonagall as he closed his eyes. He wasn't sure he trusted this additional sensation yet. But somehow it was connecting him to the earth, and he could, _feel_ them. It was as if he was both high above and looking though a microscope he saw castle, rubble, the thestrals in the forest, every leaf on the whomping willow, and in the great hall every thread of the hankercheif on Mrs Weasleys cheek, next to her, every strand of Ginny's hair. And he said softly but surely, not even realizing he didn't have a wand in his hand.

“Reparo” 

Nothing happened. He sighed, he could feel the force seemingly emptying into the ground through his feet. He thought it would work, he needed it to work, he couldn’t have his first attempt at fixing all the damage he had caused fail. 

“Harry, what just happ...” _she never calls me harry..._ he thought as he heard McGonagall say softly as she put a hand on his shoulder and definitely hit a bruise. Harry didn't wince though and as he opened his eyes. He heard it. And from the look on McGonagall’s face so did she.

It was like hearing the Hogwarts Express from off in the distance a slow rumble of a sound. The ground began to shake slightly and as Harry looked around he could see things stirring.

Slowly as the rumble grew louder, small stones in the heaps of crumbled walls started to chatter. Some began to rise. 

Harry’s heart swelled and he could sense that the force in him was now around him and more stones rose, now accompanied by bigger stones, roof tiles and statues. McGonagall gripped Harry’s shoulder harder and was staring at the debris rising all around open mouthed. 

Those who had gathered for lunch apparently felt the shaking and heard the rumbling. People were coming out of the great hall now surrounded by banisters and tapestries gliding back to their rightful places above them.

Harry saw Mr Weasley put an arm around Mrs Weasley as she cried at the sight. He saw Ron holding Hermione‘s hand and point at books flying towards the library. But Hermione wasn't looking at the books, she was staring at him, with a look of almost _fear_ he thought. He tried to shrug his should and give her a look that asked 'what?' 

But then it happened. The air was filled with color as millions of small stained glass shards rose, glittering. It was as if rain from every point along the color spectrum was falling in reverse.

“It’s beautiful” McGonagall breathed. 

“No, she’s beautiful” Harry replied without thinking. Because there among the streams of color and the last remnants of battlements flying into place, was Ginny, turning around in wonder. And suddenly her eyes met his, and for the briefest moment he thought he felt a surge of warmth as the ground twitched. 

But before that feeling could sink in, a booming voice - not unlike a Mrs. Weasley howler - broke the moment. 

“HARRY JAMES POTTER!” she bellowed. Her eyes seemed to flash from their typical brown to a golden honey color, _ive never seen them do that, did i just not notice?_. Her voice ripped him from his thoughts ”How DARE you! You leave me, broken hearted, and in the dark for a YEAR! You just leave! You LEFT me for a year with the Carrows and Snape, not knowing a THING about your whereabouts! For all I knew, you could be DEAD! Along with Ron and Hermione, and I wouldn't know a thing!" Ginny was yelling at Harry, oblivious to everyone staring. He realized while he was kinda embarrassed the heat he felt was coming from her. _no that cant..._

"And then you come back! You go and YOU disappear on me once AGAIN not knowing where you were! Then we go outside to find you DEAD!" Ginny was nearing hysteria now. Her copper hair had seemed to change to the color of glowing embers. "Do you know how it FEELS, Harry, to have the love of your life DEAD AT YOUR FEET? Do you Harry? To have your world crashing down before you? Ginny had tears streaming down her face, and she was shaking from her sobs. But she also seemed to ... _glow, no... more like incandescence, like hot iron pulled from the forge_ And Harry thought he could feel that force again, as if it too had just seen Ginny. 

Voldemort had KILLED YOU! But of course,” she continued full of fury and sarcasm. Rolling her eyes and raising her hands in an exaggerated gesture. “You were NOT DEAD! You were faking it! But the scare you gave me was NOT FAKE! I was crushed, NO, I was far beyond crushed! And now you come BACK! And you’re standing there ALIVE! Even though you LOOK like how I FEEL. And you think that everything's OK? Well it's NOT Mr. Potter! It’s not!

But before he could think to say sorry she was off, running across the lawn towards the trees encircling the lake. He knew where she was going.

“I’ll go get her” Harry heard Hermione briskly say behind him as he watched her run.

“No, I need to be the one.” He told Hermione. Hermione was giving him a look, he had seen it before in the tent all those months. He had an inkling that then it was about deciding if Harry could be a horcrux, now he knew somehow she had seen the force. He eyed her with an expression of _later._

Turning to McGonagall, Harry said twitching the empty hand where the wand used to be “I can do this on my own, Professor. I'll get Ginny.”

She nodded, looking back and forth at the repairing castle and Harry's empty hand.

“How about everyone eat, and then we can talk.”

“You sure you don’t want to clean up first, Harry? Ginny was right, you look awful.” Hermione said putting her hand on his elbow. 

“I’ll get clean clothes later,” He looked in the direction Ginny ran, “this is more important.” 

—————-

He knew where he would find her the moment she started running.

All that time staring at her dot on the marauders map while away, he knew her favorite spot.

“Ginny?” He said softly approaching a cluster of three trees at the shore of the lake, he could see Dumbledore's tomb a pitch length away on the opposite bank.

“I don’t want to speak to you. I can’t speak to you. Merlin, Harry I’m so angry” Harry heard her say as he could also smell like someone had lit a match

He stood a few arms lengths away. How could he make up for it. _Her brother is dead because of me. But haddn’t Ron just said…. the truth,_ it occurred to him. He’d say it all and then she would leave him, but she would know the truth. _Merlin's beard, please dont say no._

 The ground gave a slight, almost impercieveable tremor, and the three trees surrounding them seemed to almost sturdy themselves, Harry felt ask though as they did, he felt himself sturdy. 

“I know, Ginny, but I’m just going to say some things and you don’t have to say anything. I just…. could you listen…”

He couldn’t tell if she nodded or if her shoulders moved from crying but she wasn’t yelling so it was a good sign to go on. The smell of smoke seemed to linger in the air.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for leaving and disappearing, out of all the screaming when Hagrid carried me to the castle it was yours that was the hardest to hear.“

At this she turned around quickly and faced him. Her eyes flashed that honey gold again. He kept talking to ward off another howler and a breeze rose as he spoke.

“I told you why when we stood here last year. But I couldn’t allow myself to think about a future. I had one goal one single thing, a prophecy to fulfill, and so I couldn’t, it was… how did you put it some stupid noble reason”

He thought he saw the flash of a smile, or maybe it was the light, no it was her hair - it was like blowing on an ember watching it glow and fade. 

“I told you then that our time spent together was like out of someone else’s life, well now it doesn’t have to be. It’s over. Tom Riddle’s over, and you don’t have to answer me now but I do not want us to be over. I have missed you more than I thought humanly possible and I can understand if you hate me, … for leaving more than once, for not telling you what was happening…” his voice caught in his throat, “...for fred…” 

Ginny opened her mouth to say something but Harry needed to say what he needed to say. 

“I’m about to go inside and tell everyone how this all happened. Why it happened the way it did. Why we ended up here, with so many casualties. Why its my fault…” He trailed off the ground seemed unsteady beneath his feet. He couldn't continue, the football in his throat had returned.

He was out of breath. She stood there arms crossed, hard to read. A good five seconds of silence 

He could feel the slump happen, like a withering plant. His whole body ached. _please, Ginny, just come to the castle_

She eyed him, expression softening. _Of course he blames himself. She thought. It wouldn’t be harry if he didnt. Why did I yell at him like that?_ She uncrossed her arms and took a step forward. Only barely noticing that the trees had suddenly gone very still. He didn't notice the trees or her as he was staring at his feet. 

She continued stepping forward. He hadn't even changed out of his battle clothes. He was still covered with dust and there were dried pieces of mud stuck to his ripped jeans and t shirt. Ginny felt her insides stir. It wasn't a new sensation. It had happened a few times over the last few months, especially when the Carrows were tourchering her. But this time it wasn't quite the same. It wasn't the firy rage that she had known it as, it was like a volcano was waking, gurgling and bubbling hot _but not angry_ she thought still eyeing his torso, a mixture of scratches and bruises could be seen through the holes. One in particular caught Ginny’s eye. _That’s where it hit him._

“Ginny, I … “ he said softly, still staring at his feet. “I understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore but can you at least come up to the castle and listen to what happened.” 

She paused and then slowly reached out her hand towards the hole in his t shirt above his heart. The edges of the tear were burnt, and she could see deep purple skin underneath.

“Harry…” she said as her hand made contact with his chest. He didn’t flinch. She could feel her warmth move towards her hand, as if it recognized something in Harry. 

_Harry look at me_ She found herself wishing.

He raised his gaze from his shoes to her face as if she had said the words outloud, looking into her eyes, a piece of copper hair caught on her eyelashes. His eyes were dancing between they're typical rich green with when light hits an emerald.

 _He’s grown_ she thought now looking up at him. _there is something different here_

“I don’t blame you,” she started, eyes starting to water but still curiously that honey color. “I… I miss fred terribly, but I can't imagine also having to miss you more than I already did. I always had hope, I know you wanted me to move on and not worry, but I couldn’t give up hope that you would come back, and we …. “ 

His eyes widened in confusion, the leaves russled. She was going to need to spell it out for him, she realized. 

“Harry, I still want to be with you. In fact I can’t think of anything that I want more. I don’t blame you, and I won’t let you blame yourself. You gave your life, literally, if the speculation is true, for us. And I can’t promise it will be easy, or that I won’t yell at you again, but I want to do this….life… together.”

He stared at her. _Just let yourself believe me harry._ She thought fiercely. 

His voiced cracked, as if he had been internally shouting for hours, “together….?”

 _Oh you really are as thick as my brother. Fine i’ll show you then._ She leaned upward, leaving one hand flat against harry’s thundering heart, and moving the other to the back of his neck, she pulled his face towards hers. 

“Together.” she breathed as she kissed him, fully, deeply and with all the love she thought she could put into it. The force inside Harry roared, and he could feel the heat from Ginny as it he were holding fire

At first, harry was caught so off guard by both the kiss and the roar, he didnt realize what was happening _shes ..... she wants to be with me_ the thought exploded into his pounding head. He wrapped both arms around her tightly finally matching her enthusiasm in the kiss.

She put her arms around his neck, and felt the fire within her come ablaze, and she thought she could sense that it had responded to a call, but he flinched in pain, he didn't realize he had so many bruises. They pulled apart from one another, though not letting go. 

“Come on, Harry, lets get you cleaned up. I can’t have a scrubby looking boyfriend.” Ginny smiled warmly.  



	2. Harry at Hogwarts: A History of the Boy-who-lived-twice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry's version of his time at Hogwarts.

## Chapter 2: Harry at Hogwarts: A History of the Boy-who-lived-twice

————————————  
They came through the newly repaired doors and into the great hall holding hands. 

Harry looked up and saw there were still pieces of the enchanted ceiling moving around trying to find their place, it was like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle Harry thought. _Like this story I’m about to tell_

Ginny squeezed in next to Hermione and Harry next to Ron, almost everyone was done eating and so most were just waiting for Harry’s meeting. Hermione eyed Harry suspiously.

Harry got up after only half a sandwich and approached Kingsley and McGonagall   
“ I sent a owl to the school governors just after eating, they’re not going to believe me when I say we can open in September as long as teaching posts are filled”  
“Yeah well that was something to see wasn’t it”   
“Yes, I think there’s something else we don’t know about Mr Potter” 

“Minister, Professor” they turned to him. “I just wanted to say we could start whenever, earlier is probably better, and do either of you have a recorder? “

“I have a transcription quill in my office Potter,” replied McGonagall eyeing his ragged appearance, though wouldn’t it be better if you take a bath first?”

“Yes please Professor, I’m going to ask those folks who need to hear this to come to the Gryffindor common room. It’ll be more comfortable. And if I lay down or sit in a hot bath I’m afraid I’ll lose my nerve so story first.”

“Ok, I’ll get the quill.” She said her lips pursed together. ”I’ll see you shortly.”

Harry walked around the table letting folks know they would start in 15 minutes in the common room. Then found Ginny and walked hand in hand with her all the way there. Once everyone was inside and McGonagall had come with the quill - Harry really did not want to tell this story more than once.

He found himself alone again with Ginny outside the portrait hole. 

She could tell he was nervous. She kissed him on the cheek, a warmth flowing towards the spot they connected and said, “I’ll be right there with you.” His eyes widened and then he had a curiously happily face on. 

“What” she asked

“It’s just…. my parents said that to me just before I died. They stayed with me on my way to Voldemort. … I’ll tell you inside, lets get this over with.”

The common room was packed. Harry realized he hadn’t seen it like this since he kissed Ginny. Bill and Fleur were by the window, Charlie next to bill. Hagrid he could see didn’t trust the furniture to hold him and so was taking pretty much all the floor space. Mr and Mrs. Weasley were on one of the big couches while andromeda sat next to them. George was sitting on the steps that lead to the dormitory, his head in his hands.. Kingsley, McGonagall, Luna, Neville and Aberforth sat at the table that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had occupied so many nights doing homework. 

He turned towards the fireplace, and there in their standard armchair was his best friends, Hermione resting her head on Rons shoulder.

Ginny squeezed his hand, “come on” she whispered, “we’ll sit there next to Ron and Hermione.”

As Harry sat the muffled conversations died down. He took a deep breath and said to the room.

“I know that everything is a bit raw, but …” he paused looking around at everyone, “but I need to you to know how all of this happened.” 

“Harry” - Mrs. Weasley started- “I hope you know we don’t blame you for anything” 

“Mrs. Weasley” Harry said, the football was in his throat again, “I ….” he put his hands up “I just need to get through this and ….” the words were like glue in his mouth … maybe he wasn’t ready 

“Mum” Ginny said softly putting her hand on Harry’s, the mere touch calmed him.

“I already told him once, you can all tell him again later, but let Harry talk.” Ron stated very clearly to the room.

Mrs. Weasley got the hint and settled more tightly against Mr. Weasley “ I’m sorry dear, go on” 

Harry looked at her, the woman who had been like a mother to him and there he was the reason her son was dead. 

“I want you all to know why it happened like this, I know that understanding the story won’t bring back Fred” - looking at George - “or Tonks and Lupin” - moving his eyes to andromeda- “and Professor Dumbledore” - ending on McGonagall and Aberforth.

“I’m going to try and tell you everything, I’ll answer any questions you have just, can we hold them till the end? The story is kinda complicated.” 

The room nodded solemnly eyes glistening at the mention of those who should have been there.

“Ok um Professor”- Harry said turning to McGonagall- “do you have the quill there? The transcription one?” 

“Yes Mr potter, it is already going,” 

“Ok well then, so some of you know pretty much the whole story” - turning to Ron and Hermione- “others know just pieces so bear with me… 

so I’ll start at the beginning…. which is with Professor Trelawney's Hogwarts interview.” 

He told them about the prophecy, how Snape had overheard part of it and told Voldemort, how Snape had come to Dumbledore once Voldemort had chosen Harry….

Luna piped up - “but Harry , you're not the only one born at the end of July.” She, and the rest of the room turned to Neville his mouth gaping. 

“I know, I asked Dumbledore why, and the only reason is that Voldemort made a choice. He could have not acted on the prophecy at all but he made a choice to kill me and my parents.”

He continued telling them how at the last minute Sirius got Lilly and James to change their secret keeper to Peter who betrayed them. How Sirius had realized what happened and arrived to the house just after the killing curse. How he gave his bike to Hagrid.

“And so then I went to live with the Dursleys because living with my mother's blood renewed the protection. And ten years later Hagrid brought me my Hogwarts letter.”

He told them about his first year receiving the invisibility cloak and encountering the mirror, Quirrell and Voldemort for the stone.

He told them about second year with Ginny and the diary - the first horcrux. 

“I’m sorry a what?” Said Fleur breaking the silence.

Count on Hermione to always have the answer to a question who explained “ a horcrux is a piece of extremely dark magic. It’s something that a wizard puts a piece of their soul into, but to split one’s soul is against nature and you can only make one by murder. But with a split soul, one can only really die if all the pieces of their soul are dead.”

Harry continued, finding out about Peter Pettigrew, Sirius’ escape, and then his fourth year with Barty Crouch JR and the tournament.

“Well then you all know what happened in the graveyard, but more on that later…”

He continued about how now that he was back Voldemort was determined to hear what the prophecy said in full and so the break in at the ministry ensued. 

“But then there was year 6 and finally Dumbledore started telling me everything, well no, not everything but enough to start, and we learned about Tom Riddle.”

He continued to explain the lessons from his 6th year, ending with when Dumbledore fell from the tower. He glared out the window in the direction of the white tomb. 

“I had to return to the Dursleys because of my mothers protection and then well, he attacked when we left for the burrow. And that’s when my wand acted of its own accord”

Hermione started to say something about wands not being able to do that but Ron shushed her.

He picked up with Bill and Fleur’s wedding, the inheritances from Dumbledore. And their escape from the cafe.

He told them about RAB and figuring out the real locket was in the ministry with Umbridge. Of hearing that Ginny had tried to steal the sword. He included Ron’s departure - it had to be the whole truth - “obviously he came back, and no everyone shut up, Ron came back, Dumbledore knew he would always come back, that’s why he gave him the deluminator, and look it’s important everyone know it happened and it’s in the past and just another part of the story.” 

He continued about going to Godric’s Hollow with Hermione on christmas and meeting the snake and breaking his wand. And learning of Dumbledore’s childhood friend Grindelwald. He talked about the doe and finding the sword and Ron’s rescue “you see he came back - at the perfect moment I might add”

He then got to the Lovegoods and the Story of the deathly hallows. 

“But Harry, the three brothers is a fairy tale” It was Charlie who broke the silence, everyone in the room with an expression that said they were unsure if that was going to turn out to be true.

“I thought so too” Hermione said, a nervous tone to her voice, “but if we let Harry continue I think he’s about to tell us that it is in fact a real story.”

Harry knew, being that Hermione had said it, the room believed him. He described his revelation about the hallows and how after listening to Potterwatch harry made the mistake of breaking the taboo which landed them at the malfoys and how Hermione got the scar on her neck. 

His eyes filled with tears as he described Dobbys rescue. Looking towards Bill and Fleur “ and so we escaped to your house.” 

Harry talked about how in digging the grave for Dobby he had come to the conclusion of horcruxes, not hallows was the path forward. He told them of the price Griphook asked for and discovering he had Draco’s wand during his conversation with Ollivander. Harry spoke of the Gringotts breakin and seeing the goblin tell Voldemort about the stolen cup. And now that he knew what Harry was after, he had to check on the others.

Harry got to the point of landing in Hogsmeade, of entering the castle, of the grey lady, and then finding Ron and Hermione with the broken cup, and the room of requirement. Saving Malfoy in the process of destroying the crown. About what they saw in the shrieking shack. And finally where he, Ron, and Hermione split up. 

“And so you two went into the Great Hall, and I could see all the fallen, and I ….I went to Dumbledore’s office and then used the pensive…” 

He described Snapes memory, paying particularly attention to emphasis whose side he was really on. He described how Snape agreed to be the one to kill dumbledore. And then he got to the last memory.

“And Dumbledore told Snape that when Voldemort tried to kill me his soul was so splintered that a piece of himself ended up in me, I was the unintended horcrux.” 

No one seemed to be breathing. 

“Neither would live, neither could survive.” he breathed. His body hurt everywhere, the vases on the mantle behind him rattled startling everyone. He felt Ginny take his hand again and suddenly the rattling stopped. He closed his eyes and continued.

He told how he met Neville, and told him about the snake. He then turned to Ginny, her face was streaked with tears. And thought it wasnt entirely visable there was the smallest hint of gold in her eyes. 

“I passed you you know, on my way into the forest, you were with a girl outside, I wanted so badly to stop and say goodbye but I knew if I did I couldn't ever want to leave.” he confessed.

“I…..dont ask me how but I knew it was you. I could feel someone moving around me and there was this…. breeze.” She replied softly closing her eyes, she could still smell it. It had smelled like Harry. Harry couldn't tear his eyes from her, he could feel her warmth radiating and the force inside growled longingly. 

Bill coughed, interrupting the silence of the moment. 

He continued about opening the snitch and with finding the resurrection stone, about how Sirius, Lupin, and his parents joined him.

“ and James said ‘Until the very end’” 

Harry stared at his feet, and then described walking into the circle, what Voldemort said and being hit with the killing curse. He absentmindedly put his hand to the tear in his shirt above is heart. 

Mrs Weasley, Hermione and Ginny all gasped. The fire behind Ginny seemed to as well. 

“Well, then I woke up and then I was in this big white room, which turned out to be kings cross station. And I spoke with Dumbledore” 

“He told me about how because Voldemort used my blood in his resurrection my mother’s enchantment stayed alive, and so I was alive. And how our wands worked in the graveyard had formed this strange bond so then that’s why he needed a different wand. That's why he sought the Elder Wand.”

“Dumbledore and I spoke about the hallows and about why he didn't tell me about them outright. And then he told me that while he couldn't promise it, there was a very good chance that he may be finished for good.” 

He took a deep breath. “But before he left I asked him one last thing, if it was all real or just in my head. And he told me of course it was in my head. But that didn't mean it wasn’t real” He turned to Hermione, knowing at that moment she was trying to think of a way of saying that it hadn't actually been Dumbledore. 

“So then I woke up, on the forest floor. And Mrs Malfoy’s lied saying I was dead, essentially saving my life. Well tell then Voldemort had Hagrid carry me out to the castle which is where you all come in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 8/16/18 - HOLY COW!! ok so i had like a major break through today with this story. It needed a magical umph to keep it from just becoming a novella of Harry and Ginny. 
> 
> and well I think im onto something big.


	3. In Need of a Bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ginny finally gets Harry into a bath after the battle, and Harry meets the force within.

## Chapter 3: In need of a Bath. 

It had taken him the better part of two hours to tell the story and another three to answer questions. 

Finally Rons notorious hangry side showed itself and Molly declared that was enough pestering of Harry. The Common Room emptied as the lot made their way to the Great Hall. 

Ginny, Harry and Hermione started to make their way towards the portrait hole behind the others when Kingsley called for Harry. He could tell that Hermione was still trying to find a way to talk to him about earlier. 

“Harry,” Kingsley began, “I know you’re done for the day but after the funerals and everyone heads to the borrow I need you to set up a time to come into the ministry to sort out your estate.” 

“My what?” Harry replied.

“Your estate harry, you’re vaults at Gringotts and your properties” answered Kingsley.

“What do you mean vaults? Like plural?” 

“Well the vault you’ve been to was just your school fund. Now that you’re of age, you have access to the Potter Vaults and of course the black’s” said Kingsley.

“And Voldemort’s” gasped Hermione.

“As a matter of fact yes, among a few others previously held by death eaters. You too miss Granger” 

“I don’t understand why would those be mine now” asked Harry. His stomach was growling and his bones felt like they couldn't hold his weight. He desperately needed food, a bath and a strong sleeping potion. Though he wouldn’t say no to kissing Ginny again.

“Because Wizarding law states that if a wizard dies in a duel and doesn’t have a will, the person who defeated them inherits their belongings” answered Hermione. 

“Correct. And so Harry, you can expect an owl from the department of magical estates” 

“Minister” - Harry started 

“Call me Kingsley harry.” 

“Kingsley. Can you take the transcription? I mean it can be used at least at first as my statement” 

“Of course Harry” 

“And well, someone will need to add Snape to the memorials”

“Yes I suppose so” Kingsley agreed

“Sir,” this time it was Hermione asking

“ yes dear?”

“Well it’s about my parents” 

“Come tell me about it over dinner. Mr Potter looks like he needs a bite” Kingsley replied. Harry could see that while she wanted to talk to Harry, she wanted to find her parents more.

The four of them made their way to the great hall, and sat down to dinner. 

After finishing his plate, Harry noticed how much the conversation of the day exhausted him, he turned to Ginny. 

“I’m going to head to bed, do you wanna get out of here?” 

She nodded through a yawn, “let me just tell mum we’re headed back to the tower.”

Harry watched her stride off towards Molly who was talking to Madame Pomphre and Professor McGonagall. They eyed him over Ginny’s shoulders. 

Harry could feel his eyes fall out of focus, he shook his head, he was just so tired.

He felt her hand on his non bruised shoulder. “Come on you, it’s time for a bath.” 

He wasn't really paying attention to where she was leading him. He didn't care as long as she continued holding his hand.

He realized suddenly that they were walking through the door to the prefects bathroom. 

“Hermione told me the password.” She said pulling him into the room. “Come on now, the house elves have found a clean set of towels and robes, and Madame Pomphre gave me some potions to put on your bruises.” 

“Ginny if your brothers knew I was about to strip down in front of their sister.” She held a finger up to his lips. And in her other hand a pair of swim trunks. 

“You don’t have to wear them if you don’t want to, I’ll make the bubbles thick enough that I can't see anything.” 

She turned around and started turning on all the taps. The room quickly filled with steam and the smells of soaps. 

“Go on harry, it’s deep enough to get into” she said with her back to him. 

He removed his shoes, and peeled off his socks. He undid his belt and then went to pull off his tshirt, but it was stuck to gash he had on his right rib cage. 

“Oi,” he grimmised. “um Ginny, could you help“

“Need help undressing, Mr Potter” she was at his side in an instant. “Oh harry, this is pretty bad.” She sighed helping him out of his shirt. It wasn’t at hot as before, but the warmth from her was still there. It was more like being wrapped in a big blanket that was fresh from the dryer. 

He had small scratches all over his arms, a gash and bruise down his right side, and another across his heart. Her hand hovering over his heart. 

“Does it hurt?” She whispered. 

“No of course not.” He gritted through his teeth stepping out of his jeans. Now standing in just his boxers he caught a glimpse of himself and Ginny in the mirror. 

“Oh…” His reflection made it clear what Ginny was talking about. His body was a road map of the battle, not just at hogwarts, but from the time he was one, a patchwork of deep purple bruising on his ribs, shoulder and thigh. Soot was still in his hair, that since he had nine months from a proper haircut his typically just unkempt hair seemed to be a sort of mane effect and almost 18 now, he had the shadow of a few days without a shave. The combination of growing a few inches while not having regular meals for nine months showed. He wasn’t gaunt, but certainly thinner than he remembered being. His face was dirty and his eyes sunken. 

“I look like I should be dead…”

Ginny ignored that, “Harry I don’t think anything Madame Pomfrey gave me will do much, these are all pretty intense,” She walked around his back surveying more than just the damage. He was thin sure from his adventure, but he was muscled _no... chisled would be more accurate_ she thought. 

“Why don't we at least get you clean, and after you rest later, she can fix what's left.”

“Alright, let me just” he gestured towards his boxers. 

“Oh, yeah right.” she stammered, Harry thought he caught a sight of her blushing and a sudden heat filled the room. She had her back to him and he stepped out of his boxers and into the water. 

It wasn't scalding, but it was more than warm. He groaned lowering himself to ledge where he could sit with the water up to his collarbone. He leaned his head against the baths edge. 

“I’m in.” he said. 

“Its not to hot is it? The water I mean” 

He breathed a laugh “What else would you mean, Oi ok less laughing” putting a hand to his stinging side. 

“Never mind”, she brushes him off grabbing a wash cloth and rolling up her pant legs, she sat behind his head on the ledge, her feet in the water next to his shoulders.

She rubbed off the dirt on his face with the cloth, then washed his hair. He made an audible moan as her fingers wove through his hair. The force in him seemed to growl, or.. No purr really.

She kissed his forehead, warmth radiating from the spot. “Ok stand up so I can clean your ribs.” She said softly.

He rose before turning around checking the water was high enough to cover him, he felt taller. Turning, he realized he was eye level with her where she sat. She grabbed his hand and kissed it softly a flash of gold in her eyes. 

_I’ll need to ask her about that_ he thought.

She was gentle, cleaning his wound. After his ribs she made her way to his chest. A swirl of deep maroon and violet was there above his heart. And at this close range she could see there was a hairline scar forming. Longer and a deeper red than that on his forehead, but the same shape. She could feel the tears coming. 

It was his turn to comfort her. Harry took Ginny’s hand from his chest and moved it behind his back, stepping right between her legs and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. 

A sudden security fell around Ginny, she was in his arms and they felt, _god he’s sturdy for being so thin_. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it but she imagined it was something like feeling as though she was a house, and he was her foundation, rock solid and impenetrable.

And she cried. He rubbed her back softly with her head pressed against his heart. Sure it was sore but….

“It’s beating” he thought out loud. 

She looked at him, face wet with tears and the bath water. “Thank, bloody Merlin”

“Ginny I…” Harry stared into Ginny’s eyes. Her’s a bright gold through her tears, his a dazzeling emerald and there was something almost feral about them. 

_It’s like he’s looking at my soul_ she thought . “What, harry?”

“I lo….”

But those were the only syllables to escape. Harry’s eyes fluttered and he swayed. 

Ginny reached out and caught him, pulling him onto the tile. “Harry!” She cried. But Harry didn’t hear her, his sight went black. 

__________

May 5, 1998,

_He was in a forest. He was walking but.. But he felt himself glance down at his feet and instead he saw huge black paws. He wasn’t startled, he had expected that for some reason. He knew he had been here before as he looked around, but couldn’t place the memory. The trees surrounding him gigantic, some as tall it seemed as the Astronomy tower._

_The forest was quiet, and only lit by the occasional moonbeam breaking through the leaves. Those on the ground seemed to russell as he walked past. He walked for what felt like a very long time._

_Im thirsty he thought, and as he crested the next hill of the forest he saw a lake in the valley below. He had the urge to run down the mountain. His midnight black mane swirling behind him as his paws thundered the forest floor, tail swishing and twitching to give him balance. He ran knowing that this place was his. It was his forest._

_The beast pounded to a hault at the edge of the water, panting._

_Harry looked at his reflection he realized that in addition to the black paws, the rest of him was different too…. He was a massive jet black lion with glowing green eyes._

_So that’s what you look like, he thought of the force, and strangely enough his reflection nodded independently. But what has changed, why now? The reflection gestured and Harry looked across the lake._

_Not far off in the distance, lit by the moon through a gap in the trees, was a tigress. The same glow as her ember colored hair._

_Ginny._

 

\-----------------

Ginny was sitting at the head of Harry’s hospital wing bed his head in her lap. She was stroking his hair as he slept. 

Her mother was knitting in the chair besides the bed, while Hermione read some gigantic book and Ron paced nervously. 

Suddenly Bill and Professor McGonagall came in striding down the corridor towards them. It seemed they were deep in conversation and arguing about something. 

“Ginny I need to speak to you.” said Bill. 

“Bill, I already told you she cant give you any more information than I have” Said McGonagall

Ginny hissed at him, her temper was rising. “I’m not going anywhere, and you better shut the bloody hell up, harry needs to sleep!” her face was flush. But Harry nuzzled into the pillow on her lap letting out what seemed to be a purr. 

The sound seemed to startle McGonagall, and Bill looked at the now Headmistress throwing his hand towards Harry. “See!” 

“Oh dear, well alright.”

“See what?” Ginny asked, she gently lifted Harry’s head, wiggled out from under him and stood. 

McGonagall started, “well Ginny, you remember the conversation you and I had a few days ago after a particular detention you served with the Carrows?” 

How could Ginny forget. She had gotten detention for standing up to the Carrows who were about to put a first year under the Crucias Curse. Her detention had been to receive the curse a few times herself. The third time the curse hit her thought it was as if a volcano had erupted. There were flames everywhere in the room and the Carrows had ran in fear. They hadn’t been seen since. But while the flames swirl around the room, Ginny had collapsed from the shear amount of magic she released. She had woken up in the hospital wing with McGonagall and her mother at her side. 

It had been a strange conversation in which her mother had asked her some very pointed questions about heat and temperature and her emotions. But neither McGonagall or Molly had told her why they asked.

“Yeah I remember, what about it?” said Ginny, unsure where this was going.

“Well, its seems that your brother has been in the library all evening and has come to the idea that we are witnessing the 7th Daughter.”

“ and the 7th son too, I think” finished Bill, looking at the unconscious Harry.

Hermione gasped in her seat slamming the book she was reading and holding it up. “I was just reading into that too, I couldn’t find the book on Harry’s family, the Potters, thought so I couldn’t confirm my theory” 

“Hold on, 7th what? And keep your voices down” She moved further from Harry so they could talk quieter but somehow she could feel him moving… _no pounding towards her but hes asleep his eyes are closed._

Molly turned to her daughter, a more serious expression than normal on her face. “Ginny you know I’m a 7th Daughter, and you are my 7th child. Legends really, nothing of importance, but the legend is that a 7th of 7th of something is always mystical. And so I have been curious for some time if anything would show itself. When Minerva sent me the owl that you were in the hospital wing and what had happened, you remember I asked you all those questions? Well, it turns out that my ancestral line runs through the heart of Gaelic country, if you couldn’t tell from the red hair. I had Bill try to decode old manuscripts that had been passed down to me by my grandmother.”

Bill interjected, “I haven’t been able to decipher the entire text but there are frequent passages about the matriarch of our family tree, and if I’m translating right, she had two names. One was the Fire Goddess, and the other is something like Queen of the Glade.”

Hermione let out a gasp, “Bill, are you certain?” 

“Bout 95% sure why?” he looked slightly peeved at the suggestion he got his gaelic wrong. 

Hermione was bursting at the seams, “Well, you all saw what happened with Harry and repairing the castle didnt you?” Hermione looked at them all. “You saw the elder wand dissolve into his hand, and he had this green kind of aura around him, well until Ginny started yelling at him anyway” She continued. “But then it happened again when he was telling the story but it was only his eyes that changed and the pieces on the mantle shook.” 

_His eyes turned emerald was he told me he had passed me on his way to the forest. and just before he passed out_. Ginny thought to herself

“Well so after dinner I went looking around in the library to explain, and then I came across this book,” she reached into her bag and pulled out an ancient leather bound book, its cover read _To The Boundaries of Magic._ “It’s quite old but it has all kinds of accounts of magic that seem inexplicable. Anyway I came across this story about men who could control the earth, or they’re in touch with some force of nature, the story is in old english and I'm not sure I got the translation entirely accurate but who know ….."

“Hermione come on, get to the point” said Ginny, she was tired from being so worried about Harry who she could still sense was watching her.

“Well it described some of the things they could do and it mentioned a green aura but then it went on to say I should reference this other book for more information. She held up the one she was originally reading, looking like it weighed 100 lbs. “And so I’ve been paging through this book unsure what to look for because it didn’t name any men controlling the earth, but!” she squealed, “for one, the book is in two languages the first of which is Gaelic” 

Bill’s eyes widened intrigued. Hermione continued, “and I’ve narrowed down the second to be some form of language from Scandinavia. But I haven't found the exact one yet.” 

Bill edged closer to her to see the two languages, he could see that every left page was Gaelic runes and ever right page was full of scandinavian ones. 

“Bloody Brilliant she is” Ron said.

“BUT! I’m not done,” Hermione said sharply to ron and then Bill pulling the book away. She flipped furiously through the pages to an illustration. “If that wasn’t proof enough that something is happening here with the two of you, read the caption, I’ve only been able to decipher the gaelic half which means….” 

Bill finished her sentence eyes wide and his face slightly pale. “Queen of the Glade.” he whispered. They all stared at Ginny.

“Ginny” barely more audible than a breath had escaped Harry’s lips.

“Harry, Im here” she turned and ran to his hospital wing bed and grabbed his hand. 

_He was sitting on his hind legs, watching the tigress from across the lake, she had turned towards him and even though neither of them were human, he heard his name in the air, Harry Im here. The tigress burned orange in the moonlight. Harry started walking along the bank of the lake, the she was walking towards him._

“Harry, are you there” Ginny whispered into his hand that she was clutching. 

_The tigress and he were circling each other, their breaths like measured mist in the moonlit air. He a black so dark it was also purple and blue, his eyes like emeralds. She was hot, the smell of him had brought her. Her eyes were the color of the sun, and her coat contained all the colors of a roaring bonfire._

Ginny let go of his hand briefly to take off her jumper, it was warm in the hospital wing. “Can someone open a window, it’s stuffy in here.” she said to no one in particular. 

“Come on Harry” she said taking his hand again.

_The Tigress looked away from him momentarily. They had paused in their circling each other. Her Golden eyes turned to him and with the slightest movement of a breeze, she lay down. Come on, Harry. He moved towards her, a force building in his core._

Ginny thought she had imagined it but he had squeezed her hand, Hermione had seen it to. 

“Ginny, I think you need to talk him back to us.” Hermione said softly. 

“Ginny, can you ask him to make a sound” said Bill more slowly. Ginny had no idea why her brother was asking that. 

“Ginny just try, I want to see if…” 

“Ok.. um… Harry, can you hear me?” She paused.

_The tigress stared at him from where she lay. It seemed as though she was trying to think of what to say, but surely he wasn’t going to talk to her…. Could he use this body to talk? The force inside him reminded him he had a pretty impressive roar. Did she want to hear him do that? The emerald eyes glared at the golden ones longingly._

“Um I don’t know how to say this but I know he is listening.” Whispered Ginny, slightly shocking herself.

“How do you know?” Bill said. 

“It’s like when he passed me on the way to the forest, I can... “ she closed her eyes and somewhere in the recess of her mind she could see his looking back, “I can just tell he’s listening.”

“Ask him to make a sound.” Bill said flatly.

“Harry,... Harry, can you respond?” whispered Ginny. She put her head on his shoulder. 

_The tigress stood, gracefully closing the gap between them. Though it was hard to see his ears under the monstrosity that was his mane, he could hear her, breathing, no, purring at him. She got very close to his face before turning and nudging her head towards his shoulder. The Force awoke like a clap of thunder and he roared so loud the trees shook._

The whole room lept up and back, except for Ginny. The moment Harry had roared, well the sound had come from Harry it seemed but Harry hadn’t moved. She had closed her eyes, still had her hand in his, the other hand over his heart, her head on his chest. 

_The tigress watched him throw his head back and roar. He lowered his head finding her eyes. She approached him and pushed her head into his chest. He growled, as if sizing her up. He knew it was her. But did she know it was him._

Eyes still closed the room heard Ginny say “Harry, I see you” 

_He could feel her heat. Her warmth flood over him. The force urging him forward towards the fire in her eyes. He shook his mane as in a way to say do you see all this? She didn’t flinch, she closed her eyes and began to glow._

“Be in the light with me.” she breathed. 

_His black mane intermixing with her crimson stripes, eyes fixed on one another, Harry could tell that the golden air around them, was made of them. It filled him with wonder, and power, and raw thunderous force. And he could feel her heat, her embers and flames._

“What the bloody?” Ron started, but Hermione elbowed him. The whole room, Ron, Hermione, Bill, McGonagal, and Molly were staring open mouthed at the sight on the hospital bed. Ginny and Harry hadn’t moved, but there was something happening. The places where there was skin to skin contact began to glow. It’s iridescence only increasing in strength, lighting the whole room.

_And suddenly he wasn’t a lion, and she wasn’t a tiger. And they were surrounded by a golden white, Harry could only assume it was pure magic. And they looked at each other with recognition in their faces. Simultaneously saying in unison_

“Your Majesty.”

The light was so blinding they had to shield their eyes, and then suddenly the room was back to normal, as if nothing had happened despite the fact that ginny was now laying with Harry, both seemingly asleep.

“What the bloody hell was that!” exclaimed Ron. 

“I, could be wrong,” Bill started softly, “but I think we just witnessed a royal union”


	4. Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hogwarts Memorial service.

## Chapter 4: Always 

##### Tuesday, May 5th, 1998, the Burrow.

 _Only a dream. Where am i… whats…_ he looked down at this right hand, it was on a leg, but… not his leg certainly. 

 

“Harry,” she whispered. She reached absentmindedly for his bare shoulder to pull him back down. “Ginny, where…”

“Shhh, hospital wing, come here. It was just a dream” She kept her eyes closed and tugged at his shoulder. She was leaning against the headboard, a pillow under her head and one on her lap, a Harry sized indent in it. 

She half opened one eye. “Come on harry, you passed out , Madame Pomfrey took care of you and mum agreed I could stay.”

She moved to the side as he started laying back down, their heads on the same pillow. “She was really angry you hadn’t come sooner, but is sure that you’ll be ok to leave for the burrow with us tomorrow.” She closed her eyes again nuzzling her face into his neck and he wrapped her in his arms.

“Wait” his eyes went wide, “was I still…. naked”

She looked up at him and grinned, “I put your swim trunks on before she got there” 

“So you saw….”

She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. “Harry I have 6…. 5 brothers, it’s not like I haven’t seen one before.” She half laughed.

He didn’t respond. 

“I wasn’t exactly focused on looking at your dick, harry. You were unconscious and I was scared.” She pushed his side slightly. It wasn’t as sore as before. 

Hmphh he noised. “Sorry” She said tucking more closely into him. “I’ll make sure next time your unconscious to just leave you there and find Ron to put your trousers on.”

“I’d just prefer to be awake and see you taking them off instead of putting them on.” he poked her side. 

“Go back to sleep, harry”

“Remind me to tell you about my dream tomorrow.” he said closing his eyes again.

\---------

Harry was sitting on the couch reading the Daily Prophet after having eaten his body weight in Mrs. Weasley’s cooking. There were three front page articles about the battle, one of which was a statement from Kingsley, the no longer just acting minister but the now officially appointed one. Harry was happy to read that his transcribed statement was not included, though Kingsley did confirm to the press that he had already given an official statement to the ministry. It also mentioned the Hero’s Memorial service at hogwarts the next day. 

Ginny slid in beside him, wearing his joggers, well technically Dudley’s 5th grade joggers but still it made Harry smile. She always warmed the air around him.

They heard Molly call from the kitchen, “anyone else want a cuppa before bed?” 

“I will, Mrs Weasley!” Harry responded

“Well come get it dear before its cold!” He heard her call. 

“Have to get your brownie points huh Mr potter” 

“I love your mums tea” he replied honestly. Looking at Ginny like that was the only reason.

“You’re such a sap, Harry” she giggled standing up with him and following him into the kitchen. 

Mr and Mrs Weasley were sharing a cup at the end of the table. Charlie was standing looking out the window over the sink. Ron and Hermione, Harry knew were upstairs already, _probably snogging_ Harry thought. George hadn’t left his room since they arrived at the borrow that afternoon. While Bill and Fleur had left just after dinner for the cottage. Harry had noticed Bill staring at him all through dinner, talking quietly with Hermione.

Percy came down the stairs, looking crestfallen. “He’s in bed, but well I’m gonna sleep in Fred’s bed tonight mum, if that’s alright, I think George doesn’t want to be alone in the room.”

Mrs. Weasley looked up from her tea, tears already streaking her face. “Yes dear, that’s… thank you”

Mr. Weasley put a hand on his wife’s and said to the room, “I think George has the right idea. Alright you lot, it’s late and it’ll be a long service tomorrow, off you go.”

The Weasley children and Harry started for the stairs. Mr Weasley was holding a crying Mrs Weasley. 

Harry sat down on the edge of Ginny’s bed watching the bathroom door for Hermione to finish. He heard the sink turn off and saw Hermione turn towards Ron’s room. I hope she’s just saying goodnight he thought.

After washing up and brushing his teeth, Harry turned out the bathroom light and opened the door to find Ginny, who had miraculously been able to take a quick shower judging by her wet braided hair.

“What? ... I thought you were next in here” Harry said gesturing behind him to the bathroom.

“I used my parents bathroom” she said sliding up against him and giving him a proper kiss. Something stirred in Harry. “I’ll see you in the morning then?” He said. He had to pull away what if her parents came up the stairs.

“What do you mean you’re sleeping here with me.” She said pulling him into her bedroom. 

“But your mom, Ron…”

“If it’s anything like the past few days Ron will sleep with Hermione and besides, after these past few days, well months really, I don’t think anyone wants to be alone” 

Harry smiles and shook his head.

“You realize your brothers are going to kill me, if your parents dont first.”

“I’d like to see them try to take out the chosen one, master of death, especially since they’d need to get through me” she replied, taking off her bathrobe revealing she was wearing only one of his t shirts and a pair of boyshorts. “Besides, they saw us sleeping in bed at the hospital wing. You still haven’t told me about your dream.” She waved a hand over her hair and instantly it was dry.

He gaped at her, “Ok so few things, it’s one thing to share a bed in the hospital wing, another in your parents house, and now we’re in the certain death zone if your wearing that. Plus how did you just do that...”

“What dry my hair? I learned how over last year.” Ginny was on her knees on the bed, which meant he was looking up slightly at her now, “And if we want to enter that zone,” she started to lift his shirt over his head, “then I should at least be able to use your chest as my pillow.” She gave him a sly smile eyes glinting, and pulled him into bed with her.

She laid her head on his chest and he had no memory of ever feeling so secure. He had one hand in her hair and the other hand in hers. There was a vibration to the room as they got closer to one another. It seemed to be moving in the direction of forming a harmony.

“You know,” he said, sleep heavy in his voice, her body warm against his, “all the time we were camping I would pull out the marauders map and watch your foot prints” 

She leaned up on her elbows looking at him. “Is that how you knew I’d be by the lake?”

“Yes… and no, I mean I saw you sit there a bunch of times but when you ran off, i dont know how to describe it, it’s like you took a piece of me with you that I could trace.”

She removed his glasses putting them on the side table. And then her hand rose to his face pulling it towards hers. She kissed him deeply. “ just make me one promise Potter” she whispered. 

“Anything” he answered. 

“You can’t leave without saying goodbye ever again” 

“You can be sure of that” 

He kissed her forehead, turned off the light and the two of them fell quickly asleep in each other’s arms.

——————-

“RONALD WEASLEY!”

Harry sat bolt upright at the sound of Mrs Weasley’s voice in the hallway. 

“HOW DARE I FIND YOU WITH A GIRL. IN YOUR BED! AND WHERE’S HARRY?” Howled Mrs Weasley.

“Oh bloody hell” Ginny said swinging out of bed 

“No Ginny Don’t…..” Harry pleaded. 

“Mum give it a rest” she said, pulling open her bedroom door. The morning sun caught her hair through a skylight and Harry could see it change from copper to a glowing ember. 

“GINEVRA! Don’t tell me that…. “

“Morning Mrs. Weasley…” Harry said, behind her, shirtless. He put one hand on the small of Ginny’s back, he could feel... was it her magic?... His touch seemed to at least calm what he could only describe as a bubbling volcano inside his girlfriend.

Ron’s face was as red as the Gryffindor posters on the wall and Hermione was half hidden by the sheets, though thankfully he could see she had clothes on.

“Wait Harry, you and Ginny, you didn’t…..” Ron’s mouth hung open.

“MERLIN! RON YOU HYPOCRITE! YES RON… AND MUM, HARRY AND I ARE TOGETHER AND LAST NIGHT WE SLEPT IN THE SAME BED - YES THAT’S ALL WE DID WAS SLEEP. I’LL BE 17 IN A FEW MONTHS AND HARRY JUST DEFEATED THE DARKEST BLOODY WIZARD OF ALL TIME, WE ARE ADULTS AND IF WE ARE TIRED WE ARE GOING TO SLEEP. IN THE SAME BED.” 

Ginny’s eyes were a bright gold, and even though she was slight in figure, she commanded the space.

“Darling” Mr Weasley stepped into the hallway and putting a hand on Mrs Weasley’s shoulder, “Ginny has a point, and well, if we’re being honest, you can’t be upset that its Harry and Hermione.” 

“No, No, of course not. I just, they haven’t even finished school yet .” Mrs Weasley, half crying, half in awe, unable to take her eyes off Ginny.

“I know dear, but we were their age when we got together and well they are adults.” 

“OK FINE, well you lot need to hurry up so you can eat before the memorials start. And Harry dear, come down now so I can give you a proper haircut before your speech.” 

———————

The day past as expected. There were hundreds of people for the memorial. People gave speeches about bravery and loss, about new hopes. 

Andromeda talked of Lupin and Tonks, Mr. Weasley spoke about Fred. Professor McGonagall spoke about Cedric and Colin and some of the other students from the battle. And then Kingsley called Harry to the podium. 

Harry gave Snape’s speech and from the time Harry took the podium, Ginny couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was finally cleaned up, and god even in this depressing setting of a memorial, she couldn’t get over the raw power she felt from him. The trees around the clearing moved to the cadence of his voice, the birds chiming in at the right moments, giving him a kind of melancholy soundtrack. He was stunning, his black hair couldn’t be combed into submission, so her mom had cut it all off despite Ginny’s protest, but now it was if Molly had never picked up the scissors. His hair fell to his shoulders. He looks so regal, she thought like a lion.

“And so I’ll leave you with this," Harry said wrapping up", after all we have been through, remember to love, after all the things we’ve seen” his voice trailing off. “After all this time” The air ceased to move. 

He turned towards the white marble headstones. “Love…” and then read Snape’s epigraph in a clear voice. Ginny could see his eyes change momentarily, “Always.”


	5. Find the Lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ginny Explore their new powers together.

## Chapter 5: Find the Lion.

They arrived back at the Burrow at around 3 in the afternoon. Mrs Weasley made them all tea, and then seemingly disappeared upstairs. George couldn’t be found either. It was a heavy silence that filled the house. It was laden with grief. 

Harry was nursing his tea, deep in thought. He was trying to recall the dream of running through the forest. He wanted to talk to his reflection again. But the answers he knew were out there seemed just beyond his consciousness. But then, he felt the force stir. He looked up and around the kitchen seeing if anyone noticed. Ginny had just entered the room. He also saw Hermione staring at him. 

Ginny didn’t see Hermione’s expression however and walked right over to Harry and sat down on his lap. He immediately felt her warmth, as if he had been standing out in the cold rain and now stood in front of the fire. The force noticed too when she kissed him gently. 

“Oi, come on do I need to see this? Ron said discussed. 

Giving her brother a rude hand gesture, Ginny turned to Harry, “Come on, lets take a walk and you can finally tell me about that dream with the lion.” 

“The Lion!” Injected Hermione. 

Harry, Ginny and Ron looked at Hermione in surprise. 

“Um, yeah” started Harry “I had a dream about a lion and tiger when I was in the hospital wing” 

“Harry,” Hermione said anxiously turned to Ginny, “Sorry Ginny but we’re joining you on your walk.” 

Ron and Ginny grumbled. Harry was just confused. But Hermione lead the other three out the kitchen door towards the orchards. The four found a spot under a tree where the orchard met the pond. 

“Hermione, you’ve been glaring at me since I repiared the castle, and now you seem to know something about my dream that I haven’t even told Ginny about yet. What’s going on?” Harry asked, with a little more annoyance than he intended. 

“Harry I don’t think it was just a dream. And neither does McGonagall, Molly, Bill or Ron.” replied Hermione. 

“Wait what, how do you all know I had a dream.” Harry was looking at Ron, thinking his best mate would give him answers. 

Ginny put her hand on his arm, he felt warmth spread from the spot she touched him and his heart rate steady. 

“Ok that’s a whole nother topic of conversation that we are going to cover but Harry’s dream first.” Hermione said pointing to where Ginny had touched Harry’s arm. 

Hermione then explained how they had all been at Harry’s bedside and what they had uncovered about the 7th daughter and the Queen of the Glade. “I haven’t been able to figure out what the other language is yet. And Bill has a copy of the Celtic stuff so he’s working on that.” 

“Wait what did you say the Illustration looked like again?” Asked Harry, his brain swimming. 

“Well thats where this all seems to come together Harry, see this book is connected to both you and Ginny, I’m sure of it. It was referenced in the storys about men with green auras and using the force of nature. The illustration is titled something and the Queen of the Glen. I’m almost positive that something is you.” 

“Why are you so sure.” Harry trailed off. None of this makes any sense. The force of nature? A fire goddess. But even as he asked himself those questions he felt it stir, hearing it’s name. 

“Harry I’ll find the page and just show you but it’ll make more sense after you explain your dream.” 

And so he did, slowly. It sounds absurd to him out loud. Running through his forest, Seeing his reflection nod, seeing the tiger and somehow knowing it was Ginny. He talked about the force roaring.

“Harry you roared for real too.” Hermione said.

“Yeah mate, like bloody loud too” added Ron.

“No he didnt” Ginny said looking at them confused. 

“Well Ginny thats when you sort of… I dont know left us. Like you were there and you told Harry that you see him.” 

“I what?” Ginny replied. 

“You said it in the dream too.” Harry took her hand. “Well not so much said it but somehow I knew the tiger was you. It’s eyes. I’ve seen your’s do it a few time, they turn this golden honey color.” 

“Wait so” Ginny closed her eyes, heat rising in her at all this confusion. But she remembered the lion, that hulking presence of raw power, massive black mane. “And those emerald green eyes”

She said out loud. The force moved in Harry. “I asked you to be in the light with me.” 

“Harry….” Ron said. 

All three of them looked at Ron, who was pointing to Harrys hands that had been digging into the dirt. They all stared. 

Harry’s hands weren’t exactly glowing, but there was definately a greenish light to them. The dirt had turned to liquid in his hands and it was moving between them like a lava lamp. 

“Uh….” Harry said unsure if he could stop the memorizing scene. 

“Harry, I know this is going to sound insane, but the lion. Find the lion” Ginny put her hand on his shoulder. Ron and hermione stood, while Harry closed his eyes, hands in the dirt. 

_What the hell am I doing, find the lion?_

“Deep breaths Harry” he heard Hermione say. But someone was moving behind him. 

“Harry, I have an idea, just listen to my voice.” and Ginny put a hand on his bare neck. Her knees leaning on his back and she stood behind him. 

_Harry, can you hear me._

“Yes I can hear you,” he said. Hermione gasped. 

_Ok, so lion, right… deep breath, think about the lake._

_It helps when you do that warm thing. I haven't had a chance to ask you about it yet._

_Oh, uh yeah its new, like since you’ve shown up new, but i can try._

Harry felt the warmth spread from her fingers down his spine and through his body. It was like every nerve cell had woken up. He could feel himself stretching. And then, he felt it move.

_There. Ok I can feel it._

_Is it the lion?_

_Uh it’s like the power of the lion…. I think_

_Ok well dont do it if your uncomfortable, but I think you should get close to it. Maybe even bring it out._

_I dont know what you mean._

_Neither do I, but seeing as I’m talking to you without talking to you we could just go for it._

_Yeah this is kinda weird, and I mean, I’ve seen some shit. … ok ok, approach._

Harry shut his eyes tighter and concentrated. He let the warmth of Ginny call the creature. It was responding. As if walking down a large tunnel towards him, he could feel the weight of each paw hit the floor. 

_Floor of what my soul?_

_What harry?_

_Sorry forgot you were in my head, the lion is coming._

_Oh! Its working?_

_Yeah. let me see…_

He returned to the thoughts of the tunnel. He could hear the footsteps now too. The lion and Harry were face to face. Green eyes staring at one another. And Harry knew what to do next without thinking. Harry walked into the lion, and the lion walked into Harry. They merged. And at that moment his body roared to life. 

Ginny removed her hand when she had seen the lion in his head. And stepped towards Ron and Hermione but she didn’t let her eyes leave Harry. 

Suddenly his posture changed, he sat upright, and around him, much more than just around his hands, was shimmering with green light. He seemed to be standing up. There was a ground tremor and a wind began to kick up. The light surrounding harry shown bright green, so bright it blinded them. 

And then like thinning fog, it melted. And standing in front of Ginny with the brightest green eyes she had ever seen, was a mammoth of a night black lion. 

“Harry?” Hermione whispered

Ginny reached out her hand and the lion leaned into her hand letting out a low rumble of a purr. 

“It’s Harry alright” Ginny said confidently.

“Wicked” Ron breathed. 

“Harry….” Hermione’s voice had shrunk. “Harry can you change back?” 

The lion looked at her but then looked at Ginny. 

“He thinks so, but he doesn’t want to try yet?” Ginny said almost like a question.

The lion nodded. 

“How do you know what he’s thinking” asked Ron.

“I don’t really know…it’s closer to how he’s feeling rather than thinking” Ginny replied absent mindedly. 

Hermione was better attuned to when she should leave Ginny and Harry alone, she put her hand on Ron’s arm and said to him “how about we go grab that book and give you a minute, we’ll be back in 10”

The lion dipped its head and pounded one paw into the earth. 

“Better make it 15” Said Ginny smiling.

\-----

Ginny stood mesmerized by those green eyes. Her own flashing gold. And then suddenly, as she heard the burrow kitchen door close behind Ron and Hermione, the lion threw its huge head under Ginny and pushed her up on its back. And then it ran. 

Ginny was riding through the fields of the burrow, her hands were wrapped in the lions mane as it bounded through the tall grass. She felt so free, so wild, it was erotic. Her hair whipped behind her and she felt flames inside her grow, her body warming. 

_Let go and run with me._

_I don’t know how._

_I’ll show you._

And all at once. She knew. She closed her eyes and let the flames swell within her. She let the burn grow and her temperature rise. 

_Run with me._

In rhythm with the sound of the lion’s feet, Ginny slid from its back. The sound of four paws becoming eight. 

The lion looked to its right and slowed to a stop. It was staring at the Tigress the color of burning embers with honey golden eyes. 

The tigress approached the lion slowly then nuzzed its light face against the dark fur. 

_Good to know this way I still stop you in your tracks_

_You are the most stunning being I have ever seen._

_We better get back before Hermione freaks out and ron tells everyone._

_Not yet, let it be ours for just a few more minutes._

_Harry, what’s happening to us?_

_I don’t know, but i know if I face it with you, I’ll be ok._

_Together?_

_Together._

The lion gave a low growl as the tigress nipped his ear. 

_Not fair_

_Oh really?_

She did it again. This time the lions growl was not so low. 

“GINNY!” it was Bills voice calling.

_Lets race. On the count of three…_

The cats suddenly had a very mischievous look on their faces 

_Two…._

This time it was Hermione’s voice “Ginny, Harry Come on!”

But before he felt _one!_ She was off leaving a trail of sparks in her wake.

\----  
Bill heard the thundering of paws before he saw the big cats. 

“What the…” he mouthed realizing that a giant lion and tiger were headed his way. He raised his wand. 

“Wait Bill no!” Hermione grabbed his arm, “Its Ginny and Harry.” 

“Its who!?” 

The cats slowed to a trot and approached Bill. the Lion first. 

“So this is Harry?” Bill said eyes wide.

“Yes, the lion is Harry…” Hermione said, you could tell the chilly evening air was getting to her. 

The Lion pushed Ron closer to Hermione with his head. “Oi, mate, what was that bloody for?” 

“Which means this is Ginny… Ginny your markings are beautiful” Hermione said as the tigress rubbed her shoulder purring. Hermione could feel the warmth radiating through the fur. 

“Ok so how about you both change back, and then we can talk about this after dinner.” said Bill, apparently over the wonder of seeing a 16 and 17 year old perform that kind of Animagi transformation on their first try. 

The Lion sat down and the tigress walked over to it, their eyes closed, and forheads touched. 

_Do you know how to change back?_

_I think I walk out the tunnel._

_The what? Oh like when the lion first approached you?_

_Kind of. I can tell we are interwoven. If I look closely enough right now its just that his threads are showing. I just have turn over the leaf._

_I think mine looks more like melting. Like reforging metal in a furnace._

_You know that sounds extremely sexy right._

_Don’t be a prat, come on I want to go eat dinner._

_Never get between a Weasley and their food. Ok so, turn the leaf_

_Enter the forge._

_Three,.... Two ….. One._

Harry opened his eyes, Ginny was seated next to him on the grass. He helped her to her feet, she looked at him lovingly. “Harry your eyes, they’re… greener if that’s possible.” 

Bill turned Ginny’s away from Harry and towards his own. “Yours now have a ring of gold in them, Gin”

“They’re beautiful.” She heard Harry say over her shoulder, and she could feel the flames still simmering inside her. 

“Come on, we’ve got a lot to talk about after dinner.” Said Bill, leading the way back to the Burrow. 

Harry didn’t care that Bill sounded both stern and worried. He could feel the force moving around, grateful to have stretched it’s legs. And god, the sight of Ginny, the experience of talking to her without words.

He reached out his hand towards her. She took it without hesitation.

_That was incredible_ her voice creeping into his head.

_I think the connection is fading, as if we used to much of our magic_ his feelings came through in a whisper. 

“Yeah, but we’re certainly going to try that again. I wonder if you can use the force and not transform…” she pondered allowed.

“After dinner, Ginny.” Bill said briskly.


	6. Where is Home?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ginny hear about Harry's family vaults and he needs to decide where he's going to live. He cant stay indefinately at the Burrow.

## Chapter 6: Where is home?

##### Friday, May 8, 1998

“Harry, wake up.” She kissed him softly stirring his magic, “ come on we can’t be late to your meeting at the ministry.” 

“Right, well how do you expect me to want to get out of bed when I have the most beautiful girl in it with me?” He raised his eyebrows at her, barely opening his eyes.

“Oh don’t start, Mr potter, we’ve got a lot to do today… together” she smiled and kissed him again a little fuller.

“Oi! I don’t wanna walk in on my best mate and little sister snogging! That’s gross!” 

“Honestly Ronald,” Hermione said joining him in the doorway.

“What?” Ron replied genuinely unsure as to what he said wrong. 

Ignoring Ron, and what looked like the verge of another outbreak from Ginny, Hermione spoke to Harry, “We’re leaving with you for the ministry. I have an appointment with the department of International Magical Cooperation about going to Australia to get my parents. Don’t forget to ask about Potters Glen.” 

“How could I Hermione” Harry said putting on his glasses. “You’ve only reminded me about 12 times.”

“Yeah and if you lot don’t get a move on we are all going to be late!” Ginny announced standing up. 

\------------

It had been a few days since they had left Hogwarts and the funerals. This coming Sunday was the family service for Fred. 

Tuesday night’s conversation with Bill had not gone so well. Harry just seemed more confused. Bill had tried to answer his questions about fire goddesses and explained they were an ancient celtic warrior band whose legend says they tamed fire. He explained he had a connection at Gringotts who had possession of ancient wizarding genealogy records and was going to allow Bill to look through them. Ginny had lots of questions about the force as Harry called whatever energy or magic it was inside him. Bill had even less answers about that, however he had found an old wizarding art history book that had a copy of the lion and tiger in the moonlight illustration. It was called “King of the Forest and Queen of the Glen.”

“Does anyone else think this has to do with the elder wand?” Harry looked from Bill to Hermione, then to Ron and Ginny. 

“I don't” Hermione said quickly. “This seems like a much older form of magic.”

“Well wait a second…” Ron said. Harry could feel one of Ron's better moments coming on. “The hollows were always thought just to be some made up story, a fairy tale. What if that book with the two languages is another fairy tail, I mean the pictures sure make it seem like it is. And I think they’re connected. Something that’s going on with Ginny and Harry is older than the hallows. But Harry’s stuff didn’t start until after the wand dissolved into his hand.”

Bills face conveyed that he was deep in thought. “It could be, both these things seem to be wrapped up in family history, and unfortunately Harry we don’t have much on yours. Apparently the Potters were not a very public bunch. Our best hope at the moment is that there’s something useful in your vaults.”

——-  
They had done the same thing the last three days getting up and having breakfast made by Mrs. Weasley before playing some quidditch. It was just Ron, Harry and Ginny so they didn’t do much more than just fly around. Hermione joined once but she quickly grew tired of Ron yelling instructions and she left the hill with Ron muttering under his breath about how mismatched it was to play Harry and Ginny. George had yet to leave his room since returning from Hogwarts. Charlie had to quickly return to Romania but would get back Saturday evening. And of course Bill and Fleur had the cottage. 

So they would fly around for a few hours before inevitability Ron would get hungry and Hermione was bored. 

Harry and Ginny spent the afternoon in the sun not talking but not doing much else either, just enjoying each others company. Inevitably, they would wind up talking about what was happening to them.

Ginny and Harry had run around the fields of burrow twice over as their animal selves. The two of them had begun exploring this new level of magic. It was possible for them to tap into that power and not transform. Harry had caused an earthquake the first time he tried to tap into it without transforming much to the dismay of Mrs Weasley. Ginny had advanced quicker, and could conjure a flame in her hand at will at this point, but it wasn’t very large. 

In the course of those three days, Harry had been notified by owl about his meeting with the Estate Manager. It also included a list of items in his many many vaults. 27 to be exact. He showed the inventory list to Ginny, Hermione and Ron but they hadn’t seen Bill since Tuesday. But after Thursday night’s dinner Harry went up to his room and shut the door. 

Hermione put a hand on Ginny’s arm, “Let him go. He’ll talk when he’s ready.”

Ginny closed her eyes and felt for Harry. They had begun to try and … was it connecting? No not exactly, it was like using their magic as radar, sensing. Harry could start to pick up on anyone’s magic. She could only sense his. “He’s … frustrated. Like he thinks what he’s looking for is on that list.”

“How do you…” Hermione eyed her. 

“I don’t know how I know, I can just … tell. I can feel the lion, pacing”

 

They had been sitting at the dinner table earlier that night talking about it when he tried. “It’s kind of like reading their auras.” He whispered to Ginny. “If I concentrate and slow my breathing I can almost see it. It’s like when Dumbledore and I went into the cave on the coast. Dumbledore could tell the place had seen magic. But this seems more like reading people.” 

“What do you mean?” Ginny asked inquisitively.

“Well…” he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes to look at the people around the table. Ginny could see his eyes had taken on the Lions brightness. 

“Like you’re mums is a light blue, with golden flakes, it’s warm like yours but more like a mothers hug than a fire. Hermione’s has like a blush tone, but it’s very neat and feels almost orderly. Which is totally opposite of Ron’s which seems scattered and unfocused.” 

“What’s mine?” She asked honestly curious.

“Fire.” He said without hesitation turning his green eyes towards hers flecked with gold. “There’s a fierce heat to it.” He paused to consider his words. “It’s… it’s like the beginning of a bonfire, the small wood had caught and it’s growing, but not out of control….”

Ginny put her hand on his. “I can’t see other people’s except for when I touch them. Yours…” she paused. Feeling her magic reach for his. “It’s earthy, and….raw. It has a kind of age to it…”

He finished her sentence, “like a beast waking after a long hibernation.” 

“Yeah” she responded slowly, not moving her hand from his. “But it’s not tired, it’s …. it’s reaching for something.”

“Ginny…. I think it’s reaching for you….” she opened her eyes to find his. His eyes were glowing emeralds and hers a glittering honey gold. 

The fire in the corner roared to life, and the plates on the table rattled. Everyone at the table, including Harry and Ginny jumped. When they did their hands pulled away from one another and it stopped. 

No one said anything staring at Ginny and Harry. “Sorry!” Ginny said quickly. 

“It’s definitely you it’s reaching for.” Harry said to her quietly as conversation at the table continued. They both smiled. Harry’s was less than enthusiastic. 

“What harry?” Ginny knew he was worried about something.

“What if I can’t get it under control, what if I can’t touch you without causing earthquakes?” 

“Harry,” Ginny whispered, touched his arm, the warmth and calm from her overcoming him. He felt himself purr.

“Oh” his eyes wide, and he went a little pink. 

“I think we’ll be ok.” She said smiling.

 

\-------------------

They arrived at the Ministry with a few minutes to spare, and Harry, with Ginny in tow, knocked on Mrs Mary Agnes’s door. 

“Come in” called a raspy high pitched voice. 

Harry opened the door to a short hunched older witch. 

“Oh do come in dear and stop letting in the draft from the hallway yes?”

“Right, “ he said shutting the door, “so my names Harry and I was told to come in today to talk about these inheritance things.” 

“Yes yes sit down. I assume you read all the paperwork darling?”

“Yes I did. And well this is Ginerva Weasley who is here as my witness” 

“Yes I saw on your reply, she would be in attendance, should I mark her as your fiance? Or no she doesn’t have a ring on” 

Harry went as red as his gryffindor quidditch robes. “You can write down girlfriend” Answered Ginny.   
He turned to her grinning eyes flashing, “yes that will do.”

“Duly noted, alright which vault would you like to start with Mr Potter, we’re mostly just going through these inventory things and signing that you’ve seen the lists, and then you can make the in person inspection whenever you’d like, though in my experience the sooner the better”

“Ok well we’ll probably stop by after this”

They reviewed the list of portraits, heirlooms, and other trinkets. Finally after 7 pages Mrs Mary Agnes said,

“Well then you can see there is a great deal of jewelry, including all the black and potter wedding bands, if you’d like to consolidate the box, I could order that but well you’re going to need this anyway….” She started rummaging through a card holder on her desk. She handed three to Harry.

“Here’s the cards of the top three wizard bankers in the world, have your pick, lord knows you can afford all of them”

“I’m sorry what?”

“Mr potter didn’t you read the last page? The one with gold counts of your vaults.”

“Well yes,” He said agitated, of course he knew what was going on with his money, “but I don’t want someone else handling my money.” Ginny put a calming hand on him. He took a deep breath. “but I do have a question. If I want to move large sums of money to other people, do I have to ask you to do that?”

“I’m sorry I don’t understand, Mr potter?”

“Well in the Muggle world when you move lots of money at once you have to tell the government.”

“Oh well, you would only need to tell me if you planned on moving more than one million gallons and well that’s ….

“I want to move 5 million….” he started, Ginny and Mary Agnes looked at him opened mouthed, “120,000 galleons total…” he continued.

“Bloody hell harry” breathed Ginny. 

“Look, Ginny, I did the math last night.” He said handing a hand written note to Mrs Agnes. “Here’s the names and amounts I want to send. The hogwarts and st mungos money I want to be all of the Guant, Riddle and other death eaters money split between them it’s roughly 20,000 galleons”

“Yes, 21,086, to be exact. Well alright only if you’re sure dear”

“Yes I mean, it’s not like that really made a dent in the rest of it.”

“Yes your quite right, even with over 5 million in donations you still seem to have ….” Mrs Mary Agnes said as she seemed to be doing the math in her head. “ 965,098,452,093….”

“Bloody hell…” whispered Ginny.

“Ginny look. I know it’s a lot of money and apparently now I’m the richest wizard in London but none of that…”

“The world Mr potter.” Mary Agness interrupted.

“Sorry?” Harry asked.

“The richest wizard in the world, Mr Potter.” she replied. 

“Oh…. well, there you go, look Ginny that doesn’t matter I just want a normal life and …. I know it’s only money and that won’t bring them back, but if it means I can make my family’s life a little easier after all this chaos”

“Harry, I don’t care what you do with your money, it’s you I want” she put her hand on his and instinctively he knew that was the truth, he could feel it through her.

_Though I think normal is out of the question don’t you?_

“I know,” he smiled at her, “I mean I just thought if we’re really gonna do this, like be in it for the long haul, then you should know what’s in these vaults too. Because eventually they’ll be yours too. If you want” he blushed.

She smiled. Here was the love of her life talking about the long haul.

“Can we move on to the houses?” Asked Harry quickly ignoring the internal proud roar from the force.

“Yes of course, so you seem to have ….”

“13” answered Ginny looking up from the sheet she was holding. 

“Right, there are 6 from you know who and his followers, 2 under the blacks- Grimwald place, and a manor in Cambridge. Then there are 5 under the Potter line, the house that’s now a memorial in Godric’s Hollow. The Potter Manor is just outside London, rather close to the Burrow telling by the address. And then there is a beach house in France, a small 2 bedroom flat about 5 blocks from here, and then lastly the Potter Stronghold in Potters Glen.” 

“Right well I don’t want the first 6, I’m going to sell those, but well I think it might be smart to first empty them out. I should probably have an Auror or two look through them too before that happens.”

“Yes I think that would be prudent given their former owners.” Replied Mrs Mary Agnes. “I’ll notify the Auror office and you can schedule that with them”

“Thanks, though another question… why is it that all the houses have an inventory except the Potter Stronghold?” 

“Well that’s because no one but a Potter can enter without permission.” Mary Agnes’s said as if harry should know this. His puzzled look told her he had no idea. She continued, “the potter stronghold is much older than the others, built long before the Wizarding laws of inheritance were written. Your other homes, their magic allows for inspection upon transfer, but it seems Gringotts sent one of their best curse breakers. A Mr. Weasley. And he couldn’t even find the place.”

“Wait bill tried to find the stronghold?” Ginny interjected.

“If you mean a Mr William Weasley, then yes. But he was unsuccessful. Seems as though you’ll need to enter it first, Mr potter.”

“I think that’s all I wanted to do here before heading to Gringotts to see the vaults, where do I need to sign that we talked about all this?” Harry said, having decided he had gotten all he could from Mary Agnes.

“Here is a summary of our conversation, if you could just sign the bottom there and I’ll give you a copy to keep and a copy to give to the goblins so they can move the money.”

She took out a large envelope from her top drawer. “Here are all your Keys, Mr potter, the vaults are on this ring. And the houses on this.” She held up two rings of keys. “but before you sign and I give you these there’s one last thing”

“Ok” Harry said 

She continued, “well the goblins have agreed to give you your keys and access to the bank under one condition, that you pay for damage and help them get their dragon back.”

Ginny laughed at the mention of the dragon.

“Oh, right, yeah of course” Harry said quickly. 

“It will cost you roughly 1.5 million galleons.” Mary Agnes said.

“Which brings my total to ….” Harry paused.

“965,096,952,093” stated Ginny.

Harry signed them all, took his vault and house keys and in turning to Ginny, “want to grab lunch before we go to the bank?”

“Only if it’s a date” she said slyly.

Harry smiled. “Oh yeah of course, and um, well could you not tell anyone about all this? I just I don’t really want them knowing it came from me.” 

She kissed him, “you know they’ll put two and two together eventually, they know you were doing this today and” turning to Mary Agnes “when will people be notified?”

“Well if you give the order to the goblins today, most likely people will be notified either tomorrow or Sunday.”

“Ok,” Harry said, “let’s just not help them figure out where it came from”

“Deal”

—————-

 

Ginny grabbed their sandwiches and pumpkin juice from the counter at a small bistro in Diagon Ally, and then made her way over to a small outside table that was the most secluded of the ones outside. Harry was there reading the daily prophet. 

The headline read: HARRY POTTER FROM RAGS TO RICHES by Rita Skeeter.

“What does it say?” She asked putting their sandwiches down.

“Just a bunch of rubbish, apparently someone from school knew that I always had second hand clothes at the Dursleys and apparently in the Wizarding world inheritances are made public record.”

“Oh dear. So that means…”

“Right, you can add richest wizard in the world to the list of names they have for me… right after undesirable number 1, chosen one, savior and all that other bloody nonsense.”

“There’s only one name I hope they get right” said Ginny 

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Said Harry taking a swig of his pumpkin juice.

“Mine.” And she kissed him. The force stirred. But before he could respond, Suddenly there was the crack of a flash. 

“What the…” said harry startledly.

“Mr potter! Are you on your way to visit your vaults!?” Cried a voice.

“When will you be moving into the potter mansion?” Cried another

“Will she be moving in with you!? Who is she?” Said a third.

At the mention of Ginny, Harry grabbed her hand and stood up to go. “Come on Ginny lets get out of here” 

“Ginny? Is that Ginevra Weasley?” Said the third voice.

“Lead the way” Ginny said standing and grabbing her bag.

They struggled through the reporters and down the street towards Gringotts with the reporters at their heels. 

“Next time, we better bring my dads cloak” Harry said to her as they entered the Wizarding bank.

———  
After the Goblin took Harry’s keys and the signed note from the ministry, the goblin called 3 others to him. The Four Goblins then took Harry and Ginny to his vaults. 

They bypassed the vaults from the death eaters and Voldemort and started with the Black family vaults. 

As they went into it one of the goblins spoke, “Mr potter, I am in charge of the team responsible for consolidating your vaults. My assistant here, pointing at the goblin with glasses. You just tell us what goes where.” 

“Right ok well, I’ll be back for those first ones with Aurors to clean those out, I think with the rest of it, I would like to maybe get it down to three, maybe all the things in one and the gold in the other two?” 

“Yes that would seem to fit, especially if we move those three to our highest security level.” 

“Uh sure.” Said Harry thinking of when he and hagrid got out the sorcerer's stone. “But can I ask that you include Bill Weasley in the sorting through all this?”

The goblin eyed him, disapproving the addition of a wizard to the task. “Yes but I think we goblins won’t need a curse breaker in our own vaults.” 

“I know, I just want him to know what’s in these, especially the Potter vaults.”

Harry and Ginny walked around the Blacks Vaults and then onto the Potters. Nothing was really a surprise since they had read the inventory lists. Ginny did stop and point out the box of wedding bands, showing him his mother and fathers. 

The goblins recorded what he wanted moved and told him it’d likely be Sunday when the vaults would be consolidated and the money transferred. 

“Ginny, I’d like to make one more stop before heading back to the burrow”

“Alright where are we off too?”

“I want to see my parents London flat.” 

They used Gringotts floo network gate to avoid the reporters and landed in a very dusty living room.

There was barely any furniture which was covered in drapes and there was nothing on the walls. Really all the place needed was a good cleaning. 

“What do you think?” He asked turning to Ginny.

“Needs a good cleaning but otherwise seems alright, why?

“Well I can’t live forever at the borrow. I thought I’d clean this place up, then move in here while I took care of the other places and figured those out.” 

Her face fell. She had gotten used to falling asleep next to Harry very quickly.

He sensed her change in energy “You’re welcome to stay here whenever you’d like, I would ask you to move in but I think if you moved in with me before you finished school your mother and brothers would murder me.”

She beamed at him. “Are you asking me to move in with you Mr Potter?”

“Eventually, Miss Weasley” he answered slyly. The force within him approving. 

“Well in that case I love this place. I’ll help you clean it.” 

“No I have someone else in mind….. Kreatcher!” Harry called loudly. There was a snap in the air.

“Master potter called Kreacher?” The elf hoursely responded.

“Yes well I need this apartment cleaned out by Tuesday and filled with furniture and food, use the money from my vault, and Kreacher, my favorite color is scarlet, think gryffindor, and the color of Ginny’s hair. So nothing black, though green isn’t a bad color either.” He added the Slytherin colors thinking it might be easier for Kreacher to follow that color pallet.

“Nothing Black he says” mumbled Kreacher “Kreacher will have it ready for Tuesday”

And with that Kreacher evaporated with a crack.

———————————

They returned to the burrow to find Mrs. Weasley cooking and Ron and Hermione looking over a map at the kitchen table.

“Oh there you are harry dear, how’d it all go?” Mrs. Weasley asked, he could tell she had been crying. “Ron and Hermione seemed to have sorted all there things out, when did you say you were leaving dear? “ she asked Hermione.

“Monday, if that’s alright and well…” she paused looking at Ron. 

“I’m going to go with Hermione and help, we’ll be going with the Australian ministry so we’ll be safe.” Ron stated.

There was a flash of worry and fear across Mrs. Weasley’s face, but then her expression softened. 

“I’d expect nothing less Ronald. Yes alright” 

Ron beamed, taken aback at his mothers quick approval.

“So how’d the meeting go harry?” Ron said diverting attention from his very pink face.

“Good all squared away but I have a lot of stuff to go through with the Aurors but Ginny and I saw my parents London flat last and well… “ he turned to Mrs. Weasley who was making him a sandwich.

“Mrs Weasley, is it alright if I stay until Tuesday? I’m having Kreacher clean the apartment and it should be ready for me to move in there then.”

“You’re always welcome here, you sure you don’t want to stay longer, you’re safer here while they continue rounding up the remaining death eaters” worry was written all over her face.

“Mum”, she said softly as Ginny put her hand on both harry s and her mother’s “the war is over, and we all need to start somewhere with the rebuilding.” 

Mrs. Weasley looked wearily but lovingly at Ginny with tears in her eyes “when did you get so wise Ginevra? Yes, alright but under one condition, Harry, because if I’m reading the two of you correctly my daughter will be spending quite a bit of time in this apartment” 

Harry could feel the color draining from his face. Ron smirked.

“Mum, don’t” Ginny started, but Molly held up her finger. 

“You let me help Kreacher make it a home.” She said.

Harry beamed, “Of course.” 

————————


	7. Laugh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and the Weasley's bury Fred.

## Chapter 7: Laugh 

##### May 10, 1998

Harry’s watch vibrated, 5am. He carefully disentangled from Ginny, slipped out of his pajamas and into his jeans and t shirt.

He left the room making as little noise as possible. While he certianly had enough practice growing up at the Dursley's, he found that if he channeled the lions paws he could make very little noise and made his way to the kitchen. He didn’t know how to make breakfast with Magic but enough of his childhood mornings were spent finishing the breakfast cooking for Aunt Petunia that Harry was confident he could pull this off. 

He had gotten the tea and coffee started, the bread was ready for the toaster, bacon was sizzling and the chocolate chip brownie pancake batter was mixed. 

“Blimey what smells so good?” Ron said through a yawn. Harry could hear them coming down the stairs, it was just after 6am.

“What’s your mom cooking?” Asked Hermione.

“It’s not me cooking” Hermione jumped, Mrs. Weasley was on the stairs above them in her dressing gown looking surprised.

The three entered the kitchen startled to find harry there. A huge stack of pancakes, bacon, toast, juice, a teapot and hot coffee already on the table. 

“You didn’t do all of this yourself dear?” Mrs. Weasley said the slightest bit of awe in her voice, as if no one had ever cooked for her.

“Well yeah, I didn’t want you to have to go to all that trouble, not with everything else today.” 

Mrs. Weasley was crying as she gave him what seemed to be one of the most motherly hugs he had ever received. 

“Thank you dear, that’s very thoughtful of you”

“Well don’t thank me till you try it, it’s been a while and I’ve never used magic to cook before so”

“You mean you did this without magic?” Ron asked as he shoved a full pancake into his mouth. “Blimey harry! Why didn’t you tell us you could cook!”

“All I really know is breakfast and a few dinners, and we didn’t eat that much of that while on the run” he replied sitting down as Ginny entered the room.

“Oh chocolate pancakes my favorite, thanks mum”

“No, thank Harry” her mother retorted

“What?” She turned looking at him

He nodded. She kissed the top of his head the faintest purr escaped her that only Harry heard, grabbed a plate and sat down next to him.

———

About an hour later, all on a full stomach, Harry, Ron, George, Charlie, Bill, Percy and Mr. Weasley were on the hill that you could see from the burrow’s front door. And they dug Fred’s grace with spades, just like harry had done for Dobby.

It took them about two hours. Mr. Weasley then conjured a number of chairs and a podium before heading back to the house without saying anything. 

Bill, Charlie and Percy followed Arthur, and then Ron said to Harry “come on let’s get cleaned up.”

“ I’ll be along in a minute” Harry replied turning towards George who was just staring at the hole they had all dug. 

He walked up next to George as Ron left. Harry took a deep breath, George’s aura was, or Harry sensed used to be a bright vibrant orange, but it was dull now, almost non existent. 

“Does it ever go away harry? The hole?”

“Not really, it just changes.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well you always miss them, but eventually not every time you think about them do you get sad. Eventually you can recall them and well it’s not a happy feeling exactly but it’s not sad either”

“I guess that makes sense. I just… He was my other half, we were never apart for very long, only really when we got separate detentions.”

“But he’s not gone, he’s always with you, with us, just like everyone else we lost. They’re always with us. And really the best thing to do is keep living, to honor them by experiencing life.”

“Yeah” George said softly.

“You know Dumbledore said something to me that I think Fred would agree with” 

“Hm?”

“Don’t pity the dead. Pity the living, and most of all pity those who live life without love”

“We always said Dumbledore was off his rocker” George replied with a small smile. “Come on, Mum will kill us if we’re late”

As Harry followed George back into the house he noted that while George’s magic hadn’t turned bright orange, it wasn’t as dull as before. 

“George,” Harry said before they reentered the burrow. 

“Yeah?” George replied like he wasn’t really listening deep in thought. 

“I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but it’ll get better, you’ll feel better.” 

“How do you know?”

“Just take my word for it.” Harry said calmly opening the kitchen door.

———————-

Harry took his seat next to Ginny in his black dress robes and she took his hand and asked “Harry, what did you say to George, he seems different, a little better I think?” 

“Just some things I’ve learned about grief, you can ask him to tell you” 

Before she could ask him something else the music started and everyone stood. 

George was at the end of the isle, Fred’s coffin levitated in the air before him. 

The twins came down the aisle towards Fred’s grave, and before it lowered Harry thought he could see George put a box on the lid of the coffin.

George turned around, his face wet with tears and he spoke, 

“Uh right,” He seemed to be gathering himself. “Well if any of you lot knew my brother even half as well as I did, you’d know the last thing he would want is everyone crying and moping about.” 

“A very - dare I say intelligent- person told me something today I’d like to share with you” George said glancing at harry. Harry could see George’s aura changing, it was getting brighter, but within the orange swirls, harry could make out faint blue strands of something.

“Eventually this won’t sting as much and we won’t sob at every mention of Fred. We’ll be able to laugh like he would want us too. Before the battle, Fred and I talked about what we’d want if we didn’t make it. We knew what we were getting into. And so without blubbering on” 

George turned to the large portrait of Fred next to him who said “oh don’t be a git! Get on with it”

The crowd including Mrs. Weasley smiled. 

“Alright alright” Said George hurriedly. 

“Always the showman” muttered the portrait.

No one heard the spell George said as he raised his wand before clearing his throat and said “to Fred!” 

The crowd all raised their wands and parroted “to Fred!”

There was a huge crack of gold lightning which struck Fred’s grave. Everyone gasped. Then it was as if the hole exploded. Huge streams of gold fireworks cracked and filled the air with light. Everyone’s hats turned into huge gaudy colorful flower arrangements and handkerchiefs in peoples hands turned to rubber chickens. The fireworks illuminated the whole sky above the crowd forming into a giant W, then transformed into a banner reading “laugh” 

And the banner dissolved turning into gold dust which as it settled, transformed the hole where Fred lay into a giant oak tree a white gravestone in front of it with gold lettering reading:

Frederick Weasley   
April 1, 1978 - May 2, 1998  
Beloved Son, Brother, Friend and Twin.  
“Laugh”

Harry looked at George, his aura now certainly orange. He could see ribbons of blue within it and Harry instinctively knew that Fred was with him.


	8. Love Nest

##  Chapter 8: Love Nest

—————-   
They were all round the kitchen table now, telling stories of the uncountable number of pranks Fred had taken part of. 

Most of the guests had left but along with the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry, Kingsley, McGonagall, and andromeda sat with them. Teddy on Ginny’s arm.

She’s going to be a wonderful mother, Harry thought to himself as he watched teddy change his hair color red while laughing at Ginny making faces. 

At that moment a flurry of owls arrived dropping multiple envelopes into everyone’s hands. 

Ginny picked up hers, and mouthed to harry, _Gringotts._

Everyone was opening their letters reading. Arthur and Molly with theirs, Ron and Hermione jointly reading each other’s. Andromeda reading hers and Teddy’s. But it was Professor McGonagall who broke the silence first. 

“My heavens!”

Everyone looked at her. “Well Mr Weasley it looks like your brother will be remembered for more than his jokes. Did he make this donation?”

“I don’t know what your talking about, Fred’s wish was that all his money went into the joke shop. This isn’t from him” he replied holding up his letter.

Harry remained still.

“Well you see there’s a fund that’s been set up in his name, a rather generous one at that” she passed the note to Mrs. Weasley who was on her left.

Mrs. Weasley read it with her hand over her mouth, “Arthur, look” 

“One million galleons….” Arthur’s voice cracked.

“But wait all our letters say from an anonymous donor, who the bloody hell do we know with that much gold!?” Said Bill. 

“Harry?” He knew Hermione would work it out. 

“This doesn’t have to do with your Friday Ministry and Gringotts visit does it?” She said holding up a copy of the daily profit, There was Harry’s photo plastered on the front page kissing Ginny under the headline: **Someone to share his fortune with?**

“Don’t know what you mean” Harry said not looking at her and taking Teddy into his arms. 

“Harry, just tell them, no more secrets” Ginny whispered as she handed off Teddy to him.

“No more secrets” he breathed, looking at the gold in Ginny’s eyes. “Alright”

“Well ok I’m only going to say this once. If any of you read the garbage from the profit you might know I have more gold than I know what to do with”

“So the figures reported were correct?!” Gaped Percy.

Harry ignored that. “I know it can’t make up for what we lost and I know it won’t bring them back, but the truth is without each and every one of you I wouldn’t be here. You’re my family, and you can take this as the first step of me trying to say thank you.” 

“Harry you don’t need to thank us dear, we can’t take your money.” 

“Oh yes you can Mrs. Weasley and you will. You’ve treated me like your own son and I can’t ever put into words how sorry I am about Fred. But I can make sure that his mother and father, his siblings,” he continued looking around the room. “His school, and his friends are taken care of. And that’s the end of it. I don’t care what you do with the money, I just won’t take it back” 

“To Fred.” Ginny said next to him raising her glass and putting an end to the conversation.

“To Fred” the room replied.

————————————

Ginny came down the stairs Tuesday morning to find harry and her mother talking over tea, a black velvet box between them.

“What could you two possibly be scheming this early” she said grabbing a mug from the shelf. 

“Oh just making sure Harry has all his things together” Molly replied quickly tucking the box into the pocket of her apron. “Never you mind, what do you both want for breakfast?” She said getting up. 

“Cereal” they both said simultaneously. 

Mrs. Weasley laughed looking at Ginny who was smiling at Harry. 

“Cereal for the love birds it is” 

“How’d you sleep?” asked Harry, “you were muttering in your sleep last night, seemed like a bad dream”

“Slept fine” Ginny said brushing it off, “you have all your things?” 

“Yeah Kreacher took them over to the flat about an hour ago” 

Her demeanor changed, shoulders slouching, “so today’s the day huh? Really moving out?” 

“You know I was, Ginny, but I was hoping that you’d come over tomorrow for dinner. Your mum and I were just talking about it.” 

“So I can go?” Ginny turned to Molly hopefully. 

“Yes dear of course as long as you’re home by midnight” 

“Really a curfew?” 

“Ginny your mom and I agreed that tomorrow you come over just for dinner and then Saturday you can stay over.” He looked at her pleading that this concession would prevent a shouting match.

“Okay.” Ginny said slowly as if she had considered yelling. Harry saw the fire in her eyes fade. “Tomorrow dinner and Saturday we spend the day together and I’ll return, you with me for family dinner Sunday night.” 

“Perfect.”

————

##### May 13th, 1998 

Harry woke in his own bed, his own flat, for the first time in over a week, he was alone. 

It had taken him all day to finally convince Mrs. Weasley that he was fine and could go live on his own. Ginny didn’t really help him out the door either.

He lay there staring at the ceiling. While it had taken him no time at all to fall asleep, he was no less tired, his night was riddled with nightmares, of seeing Fred, Lupin and Tonks dying. Of the funerals, and briefly of the horror if one of them being Ginnys. There were flashes of the the forest and he had woken when he had looked at his reflection again in the lake.

He got up, tried to shower off the feeling. When he returned to his room to change he glanced at the clock, 1145am. He had just over 5 hours until Ginny would be coming over. He had quite a bit to do before then and he needed to get a move on. 

 

——-

Ginny finished magically drying her hair and pulled it up into a messy bun. Harry’s owl earlier that morning had said to just come comfortable around 5. She had picked out one of his quidditch practice T-shirt’s she had slept in while they were still at hogwarts, his name embroidered across the back, and a pair of well worn jeans that hugged her hips in just the right places. She glanced at the clock, 4:41pm.

“Ok twenty minutes, where’s my bag?” She muttered to herself. 

She found it in the living room with her flip flops. 

“Oi, before you go off to snog your boyfriend” she jumped. George had startled her.

“Just keep your head and he if so much as puts a toe outta line you let me know.”

“George, don’t make me hex you.” Ginny replied coolly. George knew better than to push it with her. “Alright, just making sure you knew” as he raised his hands innocently before walking away.

Mr and Mrs. Weasley entered the room, “Mum, dad don’t start, George beat you to it.” 

“Now Ginny that’s no way to talk to your mother” replied Mr Weasley.

“We just wanted to ask you to give this to Harry, when I left the other day with Kreacher he didn’t have anything on his walls and we wanted him to have this.” Molly handed the picture frame to Ginny. It was a photo of all of the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione before the quidditch World Cup from Harry's fourth year. 

“Oh Mum Harry’s gonna love this. He’s pretty sentimental that way, with family pictures I mean.”

“Yes well now he’ll have one of us.” 

Ginny hugged her parents and stepped into the green flames. And stated “Harry Potter’s flat, east London” 

She could smell something fantastic wafting in from the kitchen as Harry called, “in here!”

She looked around thinking Kreacher had done better than she thought, then she remembered her mom had helped him.

The walls were a golden white color which made the space feel bigger. The couch and arm chair were a deep maroon while the curtains were scarlet and gold.

She made her way into the kitchen putting her bag down on the table. 

“Harry this smells amazing, what are you making”

“That’s a surprise.” He said wiping his hands on a rag. He walked over to her, “Would it be totally cheesy to tell you that even though it’s been less than 24 hours since I saw you, I’ve missed you terribly?”

“No it’s not” she responded putting her hands through his belt loops pulling him towards her. “I missed you too harry”

He smiled kissed her. The lion woke and he could feel her flames stir. Trying not to get side tracked. He pulled away then asked her to set the table while he moved the food.

There was a huge salad, and he pulled a lasagna out of the oven that smelled like heaven. 

She poured them each a glass of wine. And they made a toast before digging in.

“Blimey harry, this is brilliant”

“I’m glad you like it” he said through a mouthful.

“Really where did you learn to cook?” The moment she said it she regretted it.

He paused like deciding his words very carefully. “Ginny I’d prefer if our first conversation over our first meal alone wasn’t about the Dursleys” 

“Were they as horrible as Hermione describes them?” She wasn’t backing down.

“Um, well, the short answer is yes. The not so short answer… um you know how when your hogwarts letter comes it includes your bedroom in the address? He said standing up walking towards the hallway. “I’ll just show you, hold on”

“Harry you don’t need to get it just tell me”

“It’s easier to show you.”

He came back not a minute later with the yellowed envelope in his hands.

“You kept your first letter?” 

“Gin, there have been three different memories I could use to make my patronus. The first was getting this letter which meant I was leaving the Dursleys”

He handed her the letter 

_Mr Harry James Potter_  
Cupboard under the stairs  
4 privet drive  
Little whinging, Surrey 

“Cupboard…? Like those crawl spaces that muggles put coats and such in?” 

“That was my bedroom until I left for hogwarts”

“Harry that’s awful… that’s not big enough for an eleven year old”

“I know…” he continued. He told her of being Dudley’s punching bag till he got his wand, of scrubbing the house (without magic) because of aunt petunia’s ocd. He told her about ending up on the school roof after being chased by Dudley’s gang, of when Mr Dursleys boss came over, 

“ and I’ll be in my room, making no noise at all and pretending I don’t exist. Which didn’t really work because Dobby showed up”

He ended with describing the Dursleys hatred and fear for anything magic related. 

“But there were two moments I can think of where, I don’t know really but I got the sense that my aunt had more to say than she let on” he told her about Dumbledore’s howler to Privet Drive and when they had said goodbye. 

“Do you think you’ll ever see them again?” She asked when he had finished.

“Maybe Dudley, and I'd like my aunt to answer some questions but I doubt it. Not for a while at least.” He sighed. “Look, I know it’s awful, that they were awful but well we said no more secrets, but Ron and Hermione don’t really know all that.”

“Yeah Hermione only guessed they had been abusive.” She answered. “I’m sorry Harry, I didn’t realize it had been so bad.” 

“Why do you think I enjoy your house so much? Anyways the Dursleys took over dinner conversation but I’m not letting them have desert. Come on” he said standing and stretching out his hand. 

She took his hand and followed him out the kitchen, and down the hall towards his bedroom. But then Harry didn’t turn on the light in his room…

“Harry, I don’t think I’m ready for…” she started to say.

He chuckled and smirked at her, “neither am I, just close your eyes.” 

She eyed him carefully.

“Please Ginny,” he said glancing at his watch.

She closed her eyes and heard him open his curtains, the sun was warm. 

“Ohhh Kay,” he say slowly, “on the count of three….” he was drawing out his words to make sure it was the right moment, 

_what the hell are you up to Potter_ she thought. 

_You’ll see,_ he replied.

“3….2…..1 now!”

Her eyes adjusted quickly to see the sun lit rooftops of London. It had rained earlier in the day and so the drying water was lit gold in the sun’s reflection, the sky a rainbow of golds, magenta and navy with the last of the storm clouds on the horizon. 

She hadn’t realized he had a terrace off his bedroom, and he slid the doors open, letting in the early summer dusk city air. 

“Brilliant” she breathed, taking a step towards the open door. 

“I know” He said. But as she turned to him, she realized he wasn’t talking about the sky. He was talking about her. 

She took his hand and with her back on the railing now, she pulled him into her. He had his hands around the small of her back. Her elbows on his shoulders and hands in his hair. She kissed him, lightly at first and then with all the love she could. 

The lion and tigress both roared, Harry could feel his magic reaching for Ginny, like a green rope from his soul reaching towards her red one. They were almost touching when out of breath she pulled back, looking at him. His eyes opened slowly. Those emerald green eyes that were lit with the gold of the sky behind her. 

“Harry did you feel that?” Her eyes were all gold, “like that reaching feeling?”

“Yes.” He replied panting.

 

\------------------------

Ginny woke in her own bed at the burrow the next morning. She had had nightmares during the night but they quickly faded as she remembered her evening with Harry. That kiss, well she wasn’t forgetting that any time soon. They had had more wine and desert on the terrace and Harry had asked her to meet him in Diagon Alley today to replace his broomstick, she was going to get one too, now that she could afford it. 

She made her way down to the kitchen, still daydreaming about their date, when a brusk “Oi” brought her back to reality.

Her mum, Ron and Hermione were sitting at the kitchen table, the morning post having just arrived. 

“Morning dear” Mrs Weasley said pouring Ginny a cup of tea. 

“When did you lot get back?” Ginny yawned taking a seat. 

“About an hour ago, we’ll be heading over to the ministry in a bit to meet Harry and the Minister.” answered Hermione. 

_What_ she thought, _he didn’t mention having to go to the ministry or did he? No i’d remember that._

“Sorry, Harry’s going? Im supposed to meet him this afternoon to get a new broom.” 

“Yeah well our meeting isn't going to take long, we think it has to do with whether or not we have to finish school before joining the ministry” Ron piped up. “Not like he would have had the chance to tell you anyway, we got the owl late last night, and by the looks of it,” he said tossing her the Witch Weekly from the post, “He didn’t have time to read it seeing as you were glued to his face.” 

Ginny looked down at the cover, and a wide smile filled her face. She didn't even look at the headline or cover story titles, all she saw was the photo. Her and Harry on his terrace snogging and muttering to each other. If she looked closely she could see his skin had a greenish sort of halo, while hers seemed to be a mixture of red and smoke. 

“Grow up Ron,” was the meanest thing she could muster, She was in too good of a mood to let him ruin it. 

“So when did you say your parents will be back?” Mrs Weasley said changing the subject. 

“Oh right well, I’ll find out at the meeting but I suspect next week, they wanted some time to sort out the dentistry practice they had in Sydney and thanks to Harry already have paid flights back once they chose a time.” 

“Oh that’s wonderful, please let them know they are welcome at family dinner once their all settled.” Mrs Weasley smiled at Hermione. 

Ginny knew Hermione all to well to know that at this moment Hermione was holding back tears. 

“Mrs Weasley, that means… Thank you” Hermione stammered out. And Ron hugged her with one arm. 

“Of course they're coming to dinner,” he said then turning to his mum, “Well keep you posted about when they’re back, and hermione and I won't be back until late tonight so don't worry about us.” 

“Alright well enjoy your day, and tell Harry I said hello.” Mrs Weasley said to Ron and Hermione as the pair made their way to the fireplace.   
“What are your plans today mum?” Asked Ginny as she took the time to read the cover. 

“Oh well I’m babysitting Teddy this afternoon and then your father and I are apparently having dinner alone again.” Molly said looking at the magazine. 

Ginny laughed. “Mum, I think for once WW has gotten it right,” she said folding the magazine in half and handing her mother the article.

**_Love Birds found Their New Nest? By Rita Skeeter_** __

_Our golden boy was spotted yesterday afternoon leaving a Jewelers and key maker in Diagon Alley. Who is the lucky girl - rumored before to be Ginerva Weasley as reported by me - Are those keys to harry’s house or his heart? Well, here at witch weekly we can confirm only a few hours later the pair were seen on a London Terrace snogging their little hearts out._

_Our sources at the ministry confirm that it is in fact Miss Ginerva Weasley, being as she is listed as “Girlfriend” on Potter’s inheritance documents in which the flat they are seen at appears to be Potter’s parents flat._

_The question remains, did he get Ginny a set of keys and earrings to match? Time will tell, and you can believe we’ll be the first to report it, until then!_

“He gave you a key?” Mrs Weasley asked gently. 

“More like he gave us keys,” she answered pointing to a ring of keys hanging by the door. “He said that he wanted us to have a set of spares just in case. Just in case he loses his, I don't know ask him. I need to go get ready” Said Ginny, the smile not fading from her face, “Harry and I are getting broomsticks in an hour and I need a shower.” 

“Alright, well Can you let him know I said hello and that tomorrow morning works” 

“What are you doing going out with my boyfriend?” Ginny turned around quickly. 

“Oh we’re going to shop for teddy’s room” Molly replied in a kind of practiced way, “Go shower dear, I’ll see you later” 

\-------------------

 

Harry stepped through the green flames and out into the Leaky Cauldron, he was late, his ministry meeting went over an hour and now Ginny was going to be mad at him. 

He found her just through the brick door entrance to Diagon Alley arms crossed. 

“Im sorry Ginny, Kingsley had alot more to say than we expected.” 

She looked disapprovingly at him. “ Well, tell me all about it and then maybe I’ll forgive you.” She put her arm in his and they walked to Quality Quidditch Supplies. 

Harry told her about how Ron and Hermione tracked down her parents and Kingsley had spoken to the Australian Minister of Magic about it all. “So her parents should be coming home next week.” Harry told her.

They each purchased a firebolt, and Harry grabbed a few other things from the shelves, a practice quaffle, and a box of reusable practice snitches. He had a book and a notebook too but she didn't ask what they were. 

“Do you wanna go back to the burrow and try these out?” Harry asked. 

“Yea but I want to hear what Kingsley said about Hogwarts too.” She answered. 

And so he told her how McGonagall - officially the new headmistress of Hogwarts - had decided that any student who had not completed their 7th year because of the war could return to do so in the fall. Hermione had of course wanted to return, but had told Kingsley she would like to work at the ministry after she takes her NEWTs.

“And well then he offered Ron and I positions in the Auror Department, it’s 6 months of training starting in November, but I get off for a week at christmas. And training will be over by the time you graduate, and Ron and I will be taking our NEWTS with you and Hermione.” 

“Wait so your not coming back but you’re taking the NEWTS,” deep down she had known he wasn’t going to return to hogwarts with her.

“Gin, I just… it doesn’t feel right to go back to school after the war. It’s… I just don’t feel like thats where I belong anymore. Robards - the head Auror - wouldn’t budge though on Kingsley suggesting Ron and I didn’t need our NEWTS so we’ll study for them while we are training. I think having these next six months off will be good and then I can start training while your away at school and when you graduate…” He pulled a key from his pocket. She couldn’t tell if It was a key to the Potter Manor or the Glen. 

“I was hoping after you graduate, you’d move in with me…. If you still wanted to then anyway…” 

“Oh harry dont be a git.” She said hitting his arm softly. “Im not mad, I’ll just miss you is all.” Her voice trailing off as she eyed the key in her hand. “But with what’s going on, the lion and all, wouldn’t it be a good idea to be at hogwarts to help figure it out?”

“Yeah, I thought about it, but I think I’m going to talk to Bill about it. I have this feeling that he’d be more help.I’m going to miss you too, but we have the rest of the summer before us and you’re going to be quite busy.” 

“What do you mean I’ll be busy.” 

They had gotten to the field by the Burrow and Harry was opening the new quaffle and taking the book from the shops bag. He handed it to her. 

_Quality Quidditch Supplies’ Guide to Quidditch Captianship._

“You mean…” she breathed. _Of course well if harry wasn't going back…._

“Kingsley said he had to tell McGonagall that I wasn’t returning, and that YOU were her next choice for Gryffindor Captain.” Harry beamed at her. “So you see, I’ll see you at Hogsmeade and on Match days.”


End file.
